BRACKLEY, U.K. – Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport has confirmed that it has exercised its option with driver Valtteri Bottas for the 2020 Formula One season.

Bottas joined Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport in 2017 and played a key role in the team’s victory in the constructors’ championship in the past two seasons.

“I am very happy and proud to be part of the team for a fourth season and wish to thank every team member and the board of Mercedes for their trust and belief in me,” Bottas said. “My performances have been getting better and better each year, and this is a great way to kick start the second half of 2019.”

The 30-year-old Finn is currently second to teammate Lewis Hamilton in the world championship standings with 188 points. During his two and a half seasons with the team so far, he has scored five race wins and 10 pole positions.

Bottas hopes to continue to improve.

“My overall target is to become Formula One world champion,” he said. “I believe that on paper, and from my experience with the team, Mercedes is the best option for me to achieve that goal in 2020.

“We have nine races to go this season and I am determined to keep improving at every one of them. Now, all my thoughts are on Spa and delivering a strong performance with the team this weekend.”

Team principal Toto Wolff addressed Bottas’ return to the team next season.

“For 2019, we set Valtteri the challenge of coming back even stronger than we saw him in the first part of 2018 – and he has achieved that, with some really impressive performances in the early races this year,” Wolff said. “Although it has been his most successful first half of a championship so far, he is hungry for more and determined to keep on improving and raising his level. That’s the mindset we want from all our team members.”