Valtteri Bottas says he is nearing an agreement to return to Mercedes as its reserve driver next year after Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, announced he was leaving.

Valtteri Bottas will compete at next year’s Race of Champions as he eyes new racing opportunities after missing out on an F1 seat for next year. Bottas, who has been an ever-present on the F1 grid since 2013,

Valtteri Bottas said there is “still a bit of work to do” in regards to a Mercedes contract as he moves closer to a reserved driver role. The announcement that Mick Schumacher would be leaving the team at the end of the season opened the door for Bottas to return to his former team but a deal is not signed just yet.

The Italian Grand Prix will remain on the Formula 1 calendar until at least 2031 after a six-year extension was announced Wednesday.

F1 has signed a new long-term contract with Monza, keeping the famous circuit on the calendar until 2031. The Autodromo Nazionale Monza track, 12 miles north of central Milan, has hosted the Italian Grand Prix every year bar one since the inception of the Formula One world championship in 1950.