Mercedes star Valtteri Bottas has been banned from releasing photos of him naked in a calendar.

The Finn has rejoined the Silver Arrows as a reserve driver having driven alongside for years before his initial exit. However the German side aren't too happy about him stripping down and have jumped in to intervene.

Bottas is no stranger to take his clothes off, showing off his bum in the documentary Drive to Survive and he has posted snaps of himself swimming naked in a river. He also released a nude calendar last year - titling it "Botass 2024". All the funds that were raised were donated to Prostate Cancer Research and he reportedly handed £121,000 over for the cause.

But Mercedes now want him to keep his clothes on with the team's boss suggesting a nude calendar is not in keeping with the team's environment.

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He told R365: "We are Mercedes, so maybe the nude calendar is not on anymore. So we have said that, but we need to keep him authentic." Wolff added with a smile: "If he wants to keep the ugly mullet, then he should."

Bottas has spent the last three seasons with Alfa Romeo and Sauber, finishing last season without a point. Hamilton's departure means that George Russell and Andrea Kimi Antonelli are on the grid for Mercedes.

The Finn will fill in as the team's reserve driver having won all of his races whilst with the Silver Arrows. Bottas has taken the chequered flag on ten occasions.

He said on his return: “Despite the challenges of the past few years, I know that I’ve still got so much more to contribute to F1. Since I was a five-year-old kid growing up in Nastola, Finland, my focus has been on achieving success in the top tier of motorsport. I’ve been fortunate to have enjoyed many incredible moments in my 12 years of racing in F1 so far.

“As I return to the place where so many of those moments were achieved, I’m looking forward to using all the knowledge I’ve gained to help the team to perform and progress towards our goal of fighting for championships.”