BOTTA A SIGNING
Valtteri Bottas to partner Lewis Hamilton for Mercedes next season after Williams bring back Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa comes out of retirement to rejoin Williams in F1 big shake-up following Nico Rosberg's shock retirement
VALTTERI BOTTAS has joined Mercedes to become Lewis Hamilton's team-mate.
The Finn has joined Merc after Nico Rosberg retired from the sport just days after winning the title.
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The 27-year-old, who joins from Williams, has made 77 starts in F1 and stood on the podium nine times.
Bottas said: "It's very exciting times for me. It's going to take a while to understand that this is really happening.
"It's definitely another dream come true, to race in another team with such great history - especially in the recent years, which have been so impressive.
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"I'm really proud to become a part of that and grateful to everyone at Mercedes for trusting my skills and giving me this opportunity."
Mercedes chief Toto Wolff was forced to turn to Bottas after Rosberg's shock decision to quit.
However, Wolff is well used to working with Bottas and previously headed up the driver's three-man management team.
Wolff added: "Sometimes in life, unexpected circumstances provide interesting opportunities. Nico's decision in December was a big surprise - certainly a challenging situation for the team to handle.
"But weathering the storm makes you more resilient and we see this as another opportunity for the team to grow.
"Valtteri is a no-nonsense guy: down to earth, straightforward and very focused. Pretty Finnish, to be honest, and a great fit for us."
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Bottas will be replaced at Williams by Felipe Massa, who has performed a U-turn on his decision to quit.
Massa, who will partner rookie Lance Stroll, said; "I am very happy to have an opportunity to return to Williams.
"I always intended to race somewhere in 2017, but Williams is a team close to my heart and I have respect for everything it is trying to achieve."
Meanwhile, Liberty Media's shareholders will vote on a proposal today (TUE) to complete their £6billion purchase of F1.
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