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Valtteri Bottas Reveals Odd Secret That Helped Him ‘Grow Magically’ and Begin His F1 Career

Published 08/23/2021, 10:14 AM EDT

Valtteri Bottas has been on the paddock for a while now and has rightfully had a seat in the strongest car on the grid. In a ‘Fan Meet Driver’ session, Bottas explains the secret behind his F1 career and what he did to kick start his experience in a kart.

Bottas explained that the first time he saw a karting race, it was all by chance. Only five at the time, the young Finn and his father saw a sign leading them to a local karting race in the town, an escapade Bottas described as: “I had never seen anything that cool.”

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Having been drawn to the sport then, Bottas wanted to get inside kart and try it out; to his dismay, he was too short. Dejected, Bottas remembered the advice his grandfather gave him. “My grandad told me that if I ate porridge every single morning, that I’m going to grow magically and then I’m going to fit in the car.” Although, did the advice work?

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A young Bottas, eager to get into a kart, ate porridge every morning. When the snow melted, and the tracks were open again, Bottas could “magically fit into one of the karts.”

Turns out, porridge was the secret behind the Mercedes driver’s F1 career; a career that has seen nine victories and 62 podiums so far.

Valtteri Bottas’ future in the sport

While the origins of the Finnish driver have led him so far, what does the future hold for Valtteri? The driver is synonymous with the second-seat at the Silver Arrows, but will Bottas enter the 2022 season with the Brackley outfit?

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The driver’s market has the spotlight on Bottas- unsure of his continuation with the team. While George Russell has given the team some very good reasons to take him, Bottas has been the good ol’ reliable teammate. He has been a crucial part of Lewis’ championship battle, easily making himself one of the best second drivers on the paddock.

But Bottas usually finds himself close behind Hamilton on the drivers’ board. Right behind his teammate, Bottas stood second in the 2019 and 2020 seasons. Now the Mercedes driver hasn’t had the best season so far; he stands fourth on the rankings, five points behind McLaren’s Lando Norris.

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Headed into the second half of the season with an unsure future with Mercedes. Will it affect Bottas’ mentality? Or will the cool Finn keep his head high and prove the validity of his seat?

Watch this story: Shortest F1 Drivers Ever Featuring Yuki Tsunoda & Lando Norris

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Shreya Sanjeev is an F1 author at EssentiallySports. Having attained a journalism degree from St Xavier's College, she finds comfort in the sound of her keyboard while typing and excitement in the sound of F1 cars speeding on a track. A street circuit and Daniel Ricciardo fan through and through, Shreya claims the 2018 Monaco GP to be one of her favorite races of all time.

Valtteri Bottas Reveals Odd Secret That Helped Him ‘Grow Magically’ and Begin His F1 Career

Valtteri Bottas’ future in the sport

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