Mercedes have seemingly hinted at a potential return for Valtteri Bottas ahead of next season with a cryptic social media post. The Finn will leave Stake at the end of the current campaign and is without a seat for 2025 as things stand.

The team formerly known as Sauber will have an all-new pairing, with Nico Hulkenberg set to race alongside Gabriel Bortoleto from next year onwards. It leaves Bottas needing to find a new home over the coming weeks or risk being cast off into the F1 wilderness.

He has recently been linked with a return to Mercedes as a reserve and development driver, where he would use his experience to support George Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

A potential return to Brackley is yet to be confirmed but Mercedes have dropped a huge hint with a telling post on social media. They set tongues wagging on X, formerly Twitter, just hours after it was revealed that Bottas would be leaving Stake at the end of the year.

The official Mercedes account shared a picture of Bottas in reply to an unrelated post from April, which read: "I miss him but it's just a sports player."

The image showed Bottas sitting proudly at the front of a Mercedes team photo, which was taken after his last race for them in 2021. He was wearing the all-blue overalls he was given for the occasion as a nod to his Finnish roots.

Only time will tell if the 35-year-old ends up returning to his old stomping ground before the start of next season. He is yet to reveal his next move but hinted on Wednesday that something had already been lined up.

Bottas recorded a video message after Stake confirmed that his deal would not be renewed, in which he said: "When one door closes, another one opens and I’m actually very excited for the future and what’s next."

Speaking before last month's Mexico City Grand Prix, he admitted that he would consider a move back to Mercedes but made it clear that his main goal was to continue in a full-time race seat.

"The priority is to stay as a race driver, that’s what I want and that’s what I’m pushing for," Bottas told F1TV. "But, of course, I don’t have anything signed yet and we’re in October.

"I’ve got to look at all the alternatives, including going back to the Mercedes family. That’s for sure one option and I would consider it."