Valtteri Bottas’ offbeat antics, including his now-infamous nude calendars, will take a back seat in 2025 as he returns to Mercedes—but Toto Wolff has given the green light for the mullet to stay.
Over the past few years, Bottas has embraced a more uninhibited side, swapping the corporate sheen of Mercedes for a carefree, beer-drinking, mullet-sporting existence at Alfa Romeo/Sauber. But as he rejoins the Silver Arrows as a reserve driver for the 2025 season, some of those eccentricities will have to be toned down.
Bottas, who raced for Mercedes from 2017 to 2021 and played a key role in securing multiple Constructors’ Championships, found himself out of a full-time seat after Sauber opted for a new direction. With no competitive options left on the grid, a return to his former team as a backup plan made sense—especially with a fresh generation of talent coming through.
However, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff made it clear that while Bottas’ presence is welcomed, some of his off-track activities will need to be put on hold.
“We are Mercedes, so maybe the nude calendar is not on anymore,” Wolff told media with a smirk. “But we need to keep him authentic.”
Authenticity, in this case, includes allowing the Finn to keep his signature mullet—something Wolff doesn’t seem thrilled about but is willing to tolerate.
“If he wants to keep the ugly mullet, then he should,” he added, clearly resigned to the fact that Bottas will always be Bottas.
Beyond filling in when needed, Bottas’ role at Mercedes will extend to mentoring Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the young Italian driver who is stepping into the team’s race lineup. With his wealth of experience, Bottas will be expected to guide Antonelli while staying sharp in case George Russell or Antonelli himself is unable to race.
“Part of Valtteri’s role will be to have a look on Kimi,” Wolff explained. “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.”
It’s a homecoming of sorts for Bottas, though under very different circumstances than before. But whether or not he’ll get a shot at racing again remains to be seen—one thing’s for sure, though: the mullet isn’t going anywhere.
