"Day by day Toto Wolff gets more disappointing": Fans unimpressed as Mercedes ends Valtteri Bottas' nude calendar shoots

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff has asked Valtteri Bottas to avoid doing nude photoshoots ahead of his entry as reserve driver in the 2025 season. However, fans were unimpressed and called Wolff out in the comment section for allegedly trying to tame Bottas' fun personality.

Bottas' personality hasn't been the same since he joined Sauber in 2022. His witty humor and unusual antics on social media often draw hilarious reactions from the fans. In 2024, he released a calendar, 'Bottas 2024,' containing nude photographs of himself. He sold those calendars through his website and donated those earnings to Prostate Cancer Research. The Finn has also reportedly posted multiple nude photographs of himself on his personal Instagram handle.

Bottas is set to reunite with Silver Arrows for the 2025 season after the team roped him in as a reserve driver.

However, team principal Toto Wolff has laid strict rules for Bottas. In an interview with Racingnews 365, Wolff said (via Planet F1):

"We are Mercedes, so maybe the nude calendar is not on anymore. So we’ve said that, but we need to keep him authentic. If he wants to keep the ugly mullet, then he should."

Fans weren't impressed with Wolff's new directives for Bottas and criticized him in the comment section, writing:

"Day by day Toto gets more disappointing; his words are actually concerning," a fan commented.

"But people love Valtteri's personality? Toto... WHAT ARE YOU DOING, YOU MARKETING FAILURE!!!," another user said.

"I think Merc is doing themselves a massive disservice. Valtteri should be free to be his authentic self. Disappointing from Toto," a fan also opined.

A fan also deemed Wolff's statement as rude.

"That's just rude," the fan wrote.

"Absolutely disgusting toto, cmon man," another fan commented.

"Let's see how long the Bottas-Mercedes honeymoon will last,"another user said.

Valtteri Bottas' social media antics, including nude photoshoots, have been well-received by the fans. However, Toto Wolff seems to have reservations about the same.

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George Russell excited for Valtteri Bottas' reunion with Mercedes

George Russell [L] Valtteri Bottas [R] (Image Source: Getty)

Meanwhile, George Russell is looking forward to having Valtteri Bottas as a reserve driver for the 2025 season. He explained that the Finnish driver's experience will help the team get a better understanding of the car's performance.

Talking to Mercedes' website, Russell said (via GP Blog):

"His experience is going to be massive. Having someone with so much simulator and racing knowledge, and who fully knows the team, is going to be great."

The Silver Arrows are entering a transition year with Lewis Hamilton having left for Scuderia Ferrari. Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the 18-year-old rookie, is set to replace him for the 2025 season.

Antonelli, who turned 18 in August 2024, made his practice debut for the team in the Monza Grand Prix last year. However, 10 minutes into the session, he crashed into the barriers, dousing the hype.