Bottas avoids extreme dieting as F1 weight debate grows
Valtteri Bottas says he will not be joining fellow Formula One drivers in strict dieting for 2016, citing a healthier approach to weight management after past struggles.
Valtteri Bottas has distanced himself from the strict dieting measures taken by some of his Formula One colleagues ahead of the 2016 season, saying he is no longer under pressure from Williams to lose weight to unhealthy levels.
While Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo has acknowledged being instructed to lose five kilograms before the Australian Grand Prix, and Toro Rosso’s Carlos Sainz has publicly criticised the pressure on drivers to be lighter than is healthy, Bottas reports a more balanced approach at Williams this year.
Bottas previously reduced his weight from 70 to 67 kilograms in 2014, when the introduction of heavier hybrid power units made car-plus-driver weight a critical factor. That year, several drivers were forced to adopt extreme diets to meet team targets, with some reportedly subsisting on little more than salad and water. Bottas now says those days are over for him.
Weight and health in the F1 paddock
The current Formula One regulations set a minimum combined weight for car and driver, but teams still push drivers to be as light as possible to maximise ballast placement and optimise handling. This has led to complaints from some drivers that the pressure to slim down goes beyond what is healthy or safe.
Physical preparation after injury
Bottas missed the 2015 Australian Grand Prix due to a back injury but says he has since incorporated special training into his routine to address this. He reports feeling in better physical shape than previous years, with a focus on long-term health rather than simply meeting a number on the scales.
The debate over driver weight is likely to continue as teams seek every advantage within the regulations. For now, Bottas’s approach stands in contrast to those still facing pressure to diet, and marks a shift in attitude at Williams compared with the early hybrid era.
For more on the pressures faced by drivers over weight, see Carlos Sainz sheds weight for 2016 Formula One campaign
