Cadillac Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas has revealed that the sport left him grappling with an eating disorder early in his career and then on the brink of depression as the 'wingman' to seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton.
The Finn, now 36, is enjoying a fresh start with newcomers Cadillac and preparing to compete in his 250th career F1 race in Miami this weekend.
In a revealing article for the Players' Tribune, the 10-times race winner opened up on past mental struggles. After a rookie season in 2013, Bottas returned to find Williams expecting their car to be overweight and suggesting he lose five kilos. He started eating only steamed broccoli and cauliflower, developing an eating disorder. He said he kept everything from his team, family, and teammates, and it took almost two years to feel like himself again.
As Hamilton's teammate at Mercedes from 2017, Bottas said he struggled with being told to move aside as the 'wingman'. 'It almost made me walk away from the sport,' he said, though he holds no bad blood with Mercedes or team principal Toto Wolff.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Bottas - a keen cyclist with many business interests including wine making - said the sport is now more welcoming. 'We're all humans. Nobody is perfect. Hopefully somebody can learn from other people's mistakes rather than doing it all yourself.'