“Trained Myself to Pain”: Valtteri Bottas Opens Up on Eating Disorder by Dedicating His Life to F1

Valtteri Bottas has always come across as a tough guy, whether it be on the track where he gave it all or off the track where he is focused on a determined life. However, shortly after making his racing debut in 2013 with Williams, gaining 4 points at the US Grand Prix for the entire season, Bottas started to experience health problems. The Formula 1 driver’s eating disorder caused his condition to start to decline in 2014.

Since the weight of the driver was taken into consideration in the 2014 F1 car weight regulations, a lighter driver directly gave the team an advantage. Additionally, Bottas was naturally well-built.
Felipe Massa, who was considerably smaller than the Finn in comparison, joined him in the same year. While Bottas was aware that each pound slows down the progression of the Formula One race, the Finn developed a type of preoccupation with weight. Less nutrition and training with no procedure first became apparent.

Bottas spoke to Veitola, as quoted by Helsingin Sanomat, about what it was like for him once he had succeeded, “I trained myself to be sore physically and mentally. Things got out of hand and became an addiction. No eating disorder was officially diagnosed, but it certainly was.”

Bottas made poor choices about his workout regimen. He sprinted the distance that his trainer had instructed him to run immediately afterward. And in terms of food, Finn steamed only broccoli for himself. The ex-Mercedes driver added, “It wasn’t quite healthy now. If the team says I have to weigh 68 pounds and I naturally weigh 73 pounds, then you do everything you can to get it.” In the same time frame, the demise of his former teammate, Jules Bianchi, shocked the Finn as well. For Bottas, having all of this together made life challenging.

While concluding, Bottas said, “I needed a psychologist to help me recover, whose first assessment of me was that I am almost like a robot who only wants to reach his goal and has no emotions at all. It was startling. It’s true that back then I didn’t have any life other than F1.”

READ MORE: Valtteri Bottas Opens Up on His Distressing Suicidal Thoughts

The Finn’s life up until 2019 was a little rough. But things started to shift in 2019 when new rules were implemented and Bottas began to feel good.

What changed for Valtteri Bottas after 2019?

The drivers, who previously had to eat less in order to keep their weight in line with the cars and uphold the restrictions, suddenly had an easy life. The weight restrictions were changed in 2019 and now any team with a driver and seat that weighs less than 80 kg must add weight to raise their mass. Bottas, who had been sick every winter for the previous six years, started feeling better after the law was changed.

Talking to motorsports.com the Finn said, “It’s very easy to get ill or sick. Obviously the last six years every winter I’ve had quite a long period of being ill. It was the first winter for many, many years. I didn’t have any flu or sickness. I can eat more and make sure when I train I get all the nutrients and recover well. I feel good.”

WATCH THIS STORY: Ricciardo Redemption, Frozen Bottas- Dramatic F1 Moments in Monaco GP History

Valtteri Bottas has encountered some major difficulties while racing at the highest level of motorsport, and that too in a Mercedes against one of the best Lewis Hamilton. However, the man has already been more at ease since switching to Alfa Romeo, and we hope to see the best of Bottas in season 2023.