JULY 4, 2015

Wolff says Bottas to wear blue or red in 2016

Toto Wolff has confirmed speculation Valtteri Bottas will either keep driving for Williams next year or switch to Ferrari.

Toto Wolff has confirmed speculation Valtteri Bottas will either keep driving for Williams next year or switch to Ferrari.

Wolff, who is Mercedes' F1 chief, is also involved in the management of Bottas' career.

The Finn is strongly linked with a move to Ferrari next year to replace his struggling countryman Kimi Raikkonen.

But Raikkonen's manager, Steve Robertson, said at Silverstone that the 2007 world champion still has time to bounce back.

"What I do know is that the situation is still in Kimi's hands," he told Turun Sanomat newspaper.

"Let's see what the next couple of races brings and go from there," added Robertson.

"Sometimes it's like this: try as you might, nothing seems to go to plan. It happens in sport just as it happens in life.

"But hopefully Kimi will perform very well this weekend and then continue in Hungary. Then we'll see what happens," he said.

If Raikkonen continues to struggle, though, the Bottas speculation will only increase.

"The question is whether he will be in blue like your microphone or red like your shirt," Wolff, 25-year-old Bottas' manager, joked to a reporter for the Finnish broadcaster MTV3.

Asked to have a "guess" as to what will happen for 2016, the Austrian answered: "I'm not in the speculation business.

"We have to remember how much Valtteri owes to Williams. It is a great team that can win," Wolff insisted.

"On the other hand Ferrari is an icon of the sport and one of the biggest teams so it is an attractive option.

"We have to take the time and work it out. Then it's either this (blue microphone) or that (red shirt)," he smiled.

(GMM)