F1 fans stunned after Valtteri Bottas delivers New Year greeting with close up of his crotch

Valtteri Bottas, Stake, Sauber, Bahrain, 2024 — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 fans stunned after Valtteri Bottas delivers New Year greeting with close up of his crotch

Valtteri, you've done it again

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Thursday 1 January 2026 22:55

Cadillac F1 star Valtteri Bottas ushered in the New Year with a unique social media post, that I wish I could erase from my memory immediately.

Depending on how hungover you were on New Year's Day 2026, you will either have been delighted or felt even more nauseous after witnessing Bottas' latest social media post.

The Finn has gone full 'MURICA' since announcing he will be driving for Cadillac in 2026, who enter the grid as the 11th team and also boast experienced driver Sergio Perez in their lineup.

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Bottas has fully embraced a brash American identity, with his current profile picture proving why he spent the past year as Mercedes' No.1 'vibes guy' - he's riding a wave, with a stars and stripe flag for context.

Bottas does it again...

Yet, Bottas' New Year post was somehow even more chaotic, with sideways image of an eagle dominating the picture on what resembled a towel like material. If you quickly swiped past the post on your morning doom scroll – lucky you – then I can only apologise for the information I am about to impart.

The footage then zoomed out to reveal a quivering pair of boxer shorts and then a full shot of Bottas lounging on the beach, in a pair of stars and stripes pants adorning his crotch.

F1 fans were left stunned by the revelation on social media, where one wrote: "Did you really need to zoom in on the eagle?"

Another let Bottas get away with the video, and commented: "Only Valtteri can pull this off."

"WTF?" came the simple confusion of one user, while another said what we were all thinking and wrote: "That twitch was not necessary Valtteri."

Bottas is no stranger to risqué images, gradually emerging out of his Mercedes shell into a social media icon over the years.

The most notable example of this was when he shared a picture of his naked bum, although in fairness the shot was very artsy capturing the natural beauty of the Colorado scenery.

Bottas' nudity even lead to the infamous 2024 Bottass calendar, and his former team-mate Lewis Hamilton receiving a framed picture of the Finn's bum. Oh Valtteri, welcome back.

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F1 Mercedes Cadillac Valtteri Bottas