F1 driver banned from making nude calendars after raising £121,000 for cancer charity

A Formula 1 driver has been told he can’t make nude calendars after releasing one last year – but he is allowed to keep his ‘ugly mullet’.

Valtteri Bottas has been a popular face on the F1 grid for over a decade, best known for his time as Sir Lewis Hamilton’s teammate at Mercedes from 2017 to 2021.

He won 10 grand prix in that period, helping the Silver Arrows win five consecutive constructors’ titles.

After being dropped for George Russell, he joined Alfa Romeo – now known as Sauber – but it was announced at the end of 2024 that his contract had not been renewed after failing to score a single point all season.

The 35-year-old hasn’t said goodbye to F1 just yet however, with Mercedes re-signing him in December to act as their reserve driver behind Russell and Kimi Antonelli.

But as well as his success on the track, Bottas has won over fans with his eccentric behaviour off it, highlighted by his distinctive blonde mullet and moustache.

Moreover, the Finn infamously showed a little too much of himself in the Netflix series Drive to Survive and followed this up with posting pictures of himself swimming naked on social media.

It all culminated in the driver releasing a nude calendar for charity last year, appropriately titled ‘Bottass 2024’, which reportedly raised £121,000 for Prostate Cancer Research.

But if fans were hoping for a 2025 follow up, they’re going to be bitterly disappointed as Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has revealed he’s asked Bottas to tone down some of his antics.

‘We are Mercedes, so maybe the nude calendar is not on anymore,’ Wolff told RacingNews365.

‘So we’ve said that, but we need to keep him authentic. And if he wants to keep the ugly mullet, then he should!’

As reserve driver, Bottas will be ready to step in at any given time if Russell or Antonelli are unable to race and while he may not be making anymore calendars Wolff is hopeful the Finn can mentor Mercedes’ newest star.

There is a lot of pressure on Antonelli ahead of his rookie F1 season, with the 18-year-old chosen to replace the most successful driver of all time Hamilton who has joined Ferrari.

‘Part of the role of Valtteri will be to have a look on Kimi,’ Wolff added.

‘Be there to coach, be there to have an eye on what’s happening on the track. And Kimi is going to learn from Valtteri and from George.’

The 2025 F1 season gets underway with the Australian Grand Prix on March 16.

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