Factbox - Mercedes Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas

LONDON ( Reuters) - Factbox on Finnish Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas, who was announced by Mercedes on Monday as the replacement for retired world champion Nico Rosberg.

Born: Nastola, Finland on Aug. 28, 1989 (27 years old).

*Bottas started racing go-karts at six years old and moved into single-seater car racing in 2007, when he finished third overall in the Formula Renault 2.0 series with three wins.

*The Finn was Formula Renault champion in 2008, with 12 wins, and competed in the Formula Three Euroseries in 2009 and 2010, finishing third overall in both seasons and becoming the first double winner of the Zandvoort Masters. In 2011 he won the GP3 championship.

*Joined Williams as a test driver in 2010 and appointed reserve driver in 2012, making his Formula One race debut for the team in 2013 alongside team mate Pastor Maldonado of Venezuela.

*Bottas made his first F1 podium appearance in Austria in 2014. He has nine career top-three finishes but has yet to win a grand prix in 77 starts. He is also yet to be beaten by a team mate in the overall standings.

*In 2014 he finished fourth overall in the championship. Last season he was eighth.

*Married long-time girlfriend Emilia Pikkarainen, a Finnish Olympic swimmer who has competed in three Games, in September, 2016.

*Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff has been part of Bottas's management team along with twice champion Mika Hakkinen and the Finn's former manager Didier Coton.

(Compiled by Alan Baldwin, editing by Ed Osmond)