Mercedes power can follow Valtteri Bottas to Alfa Romeo

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Valtteri Bottas may not be the only asset linked to Mercedes en route to Alfa Romeo, where a power unit deal has also been rumored.

Kimi Raikkonen has announced that his long career in Formula 1 has come to an end, with the Finn confirming his retirement at the end of 2021.

There may be a couple of seats available to grab at Alfa Romeo, and Antonio Giovinazzi may have been staring at the exit door, but what is certain is that an Alfa Romeo seat on a minimum is available for 2022.

The links between Bottas and the upcoming job were already in place. But now that Raikkonen’s departure has been confirmed, Bottas is expected to sign with the Switzerland-based team, freeing up a seat at Mercedes for George Russell.

But is Bottas set to take Mercedes power units with him?

According to Swiss director Blick, there is talk of such a deal.

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Alfa Romeo is a long-term customer of Ferrari and until the Sauber/Alfa Romeo partnership was extended this year, the Scuderia enjoyed a word in the Alfa Romeo driver lineup.

Updated terms now leave Alfa Romeo in control of their drivers’ determination, but can they leave Ferrari entirely behind and turn into a Mercedes powerhouse?

Ferrari’s engine is currently in a phase of reconstruction – 2021 saw solid progress, although it recovered from a very low level after the struggles of 2020.

Alfa Romeo and another Ferrari customer team, Haas, are understandably hampered by Ferrari’s power unit issues, and both are using 2021 as the perfect pre-season for the new regulations coming 2022, when both are looking to climb demand.

Mercedes is seen as having the best engine on the grid, closely followed by Honda, although the Japanese manufacturer will leave Formula 1 at the end of the season and hand over its power unit to Red Bull.

In theory, owning a Mercedes engine would be a boost to Alfa Romeo’s hopes of recovering – but as Blick points out, there are some pitfalls.

First, the fact that Mercedes already has such an extensive customer list that they already supply McLaren, Aston Martin and Williams in addition to their own clothing.

The regulations allow for a maximum of three customer teams, so for Alfa Romeo to get into the action, it would require the approval of the other teams.

Even if they get it, can Mercedes handle the supply of a fourth customer?

The next issue is the 2022 car itself. Alfa Romeo has confirmed that this has been their focus since January, and therefore the designs of their new competitor will be developed at this point.

Unless they know all along about a Mercedes power unit deal, it’s not certain it will be a good fit.

Ferrari has been Alfa Romeo’s engine partner since 2010, leading the team through the Sauber and Alfa Romeo eras. Four podiums were recorded during that period.

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