An axed Formula 1 star is set to make a quick return to racing next year, it has been confirmed.
The announcement comes as the 2024 season nears its conclusion, with just two races now remaining following the Las Vegas Grand Prix.
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With the end of the season comes great uncertainty for a number of drivers currently on the grid, however, with several stars yet to secure a seat for 2025.
That list includes experienced Haas driver Kevin Magnussen, who will be replaced by rising star Oliver Bearmanas well as Sauber racer Zhou Guanyu.
The latter’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas is also facing an uncertain future, following the news that Gabriel Bortoleto will team up with Nico Hulkenberg at the Swiss outfit next season ahead of their upcoming transition to Audi.
Bottas – a 10-time race winner – was a former colleague of Lewis Hamilton at Mercedes, but has endured a disappointing spell at his current employers since making the move back in 2022.
The Finn has yet to score a single point this season, and now aged 35, may have raced in F1 for the final time.
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Bottas has been tipped for a wide variety of new roles, including a return to Mercedes, with some fans even suggesting he should take up a career in the film or music industry should he choose to retire.
But, there seems little chance of that happening just yet after it was revealed he will be participating in next year’s Race of Champions.
The annual event – held in Sydney – features some of the world’s best drivers from F1, World Rally Championship, IndyCar, NASCAR, touring car racing and motorcycle racing, who compete against each other in identical cars.
Bottas will link up with former world champion Sebastian Vettel and current Mercedes reserve driver Mick Schumacher at the iconic event which takes place in early March, with a host of other big names still to be announced.
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