'Bottas not good enough for the top guys, free up that seat for young drivers'

Today Alfa Romeo announced that Valtteri Bottas will drive for the team as from next season. With this the seat of George Russell at Mercedes also seems to be certain. During the extra broadcast of Formula 1 café on Dutch broadcaster Ziggo Sport the men discuss the new contract of Bottas.

The guys agree: Russell is going one hundred per cent to Mercedes. "I'm just sure he's known this for a long time and that Toto Wolff has been working for a long time to get him under the pans somewhere," Robert Doornbos began. "He's known about it for a long time. The important thing is that George Russell gave it away to us in an interview. I think it was in Hungary. Then it was settled. That weekend", adds Jack Plooij.

"Bottas had known for some time and that was just waiting for Wolff to find a place for him. I met Russell in the paddock Sunday morning and I said 'good coffee here', 'yes very good' he said. I said: 'next year you can drink coffee here every day' and then you just see that smile. He deserves it", Doornbos continues.

What should Bottas do at Alfa Romeo?

You could say Bottas is taking a big step back. "He has shown that he is just not good enough with those top teams. Then free up that seat for new, young drivers, " Tom Coronel believes. Still the other guys think Bottas is a good asset to Alfa Romeo because of his experience at Mercedes. "Fred Vasseur knows Bottas well. He used to drive at ART. He became champion there. I think Fred will get him back on track somehow", said Van der Garde.

"He takes that experience and that knowledge to a medium team in Formula 1 and that's very valuable. So in the end, he'll be right at home there", Doornbos said.