AMSTERDAM: Valtteri Bottas (pix) played down hopes of an imminent announcement about his Formula One future on Thursday after fellow-Finn Kimi Raikkonen announced his retirement at the end of the season, creating a vacancy at Alfa Romeo.

Bottas, 32, is widely expected to leave Mercedes with 23-year-old Briton George Russell set to move from Williams to partner seven times world champion and compatriot Lewis Hamilton.