Wolff: Bottas has to "justify" his seat at Mercedes

Valtteri Bottas is under pressure to keep his seat at Mercedes in Formula 1. 

Toto Wolff believes that Bottas has what it takes to succeed at the German team but needs to prove his worth and show that he deserves a seat in the top team of Formula 1. 

Bottas became the first Mercedes driver since 2011 not to win a race in a season. Compared to his team-mate, Lewis Hamiltons, 11 wins and 5th World Championship season, Bottas' performance looks poor. 

There will be added pressure on the Finn due to Frenchman Esteban Ocon being given the job of reserve driver for the Silver Arrows, after he was forced out of the Racing Point team in favour of Lance Stroll. 

“Every racing driver in a Formula One car has to look over his shoulder. It is a very brutal sport where only the best ones survive and they are very well aware,” Wolff told Reuters.

“They have made the selection of the top 20 racing drivers in the world and every single year they have to justify that they deserve the place. It is not only valid for Valtteri but all the others as well.

“Valtteri is a fierce warrior and he wouldn’t be where he is today if he was not an outstanding racing driver. I think he absolutely embraces the challenge of being teammate and competitor to Lewis Hamilton,” said the Austrian

When asked directly about Bottas' future at Mercedes Wolff said, "He certainly has the talent and the intelligence.”