WATCH: Zhou Guanyu surprises Valtteri Bottas with a special helmet to celebrate his honorary Australian citizenship

Valtteri Bottas has become incredibly fond of Australia in recent years with the Finn now being an honorary citizen of the country.

WATCH: Zhou Guanyu surprises Valtteri Bottas with a special helmet to celebrate his honorary Australian citizenship

Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas (via IMAGO), Bottas' special helmet gifted by Zhou Guanyu (via @ZhouGuanyu/X).

Valtteri Bottas is synonymous with the Australian continent, for his love for the nation. Bottas is often spotted Down Under ‘alongside his Aussie Girlfriend Tiffany Cromwell. Additionally, the 34-year-old has been donning the mullet-style hairstyle in F1 for the past two seasons. Now, Bottas’s teammate Zhou Guanyu decided to surprise the Finnish driver.

Valtteri Bottas had recently been given honorary Australian citizenship following his love for the country. As a result, the Finnish driver has been looking ahead to racing at the Australian GP alongside his newly received citizenship. Zhou Guanyu brought in a special helmet to pay tribute to Bottas’ honorary citizenship.

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The helmet contained a blue-colored vibe, relating to the beaches in the Australian continent. Additionally, the special edition helmet contains Botass’ face cutout, showcasing his mullet hairstyle. Apart from this, the helmet also contains other references to Australia, such as kangaroos and other hilarious details.

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Valtteri Bottas shares his special connection with Australia

Valtteri Bottas wasn’t always this open and daring when it came to experimenting with new things back in his Mercedes days. However, as the Finnish driver aged, he became more and more comfortable with himself. The 34-year-old opened up about how he used to struggle with confidence back in the day. Regardless, Bottas has now learned to not take himself too seriously and let it flow.

I maybe would have struggled with my confidence to do something like that. But I think with just a bit more age, a bit more experience, I've learned not to take myself too seriously…

Bottas said, as reported by motorsport.com.

Valtteri Bottas
Valtteri Bottas (via IMAGO).

Moreover, Valtteri Bottas also shared his special connection with Australia. The 34-year-old is equally welcoming of the nation’s tradition alongside other Australian drivers on the grid. Bottas mentioned how his girlfriend being Australian and the people attracted him to the nation. As a result, the Finnish driver continues to showcase his love for the continent while racing in Formula 1.

Obviously, I have a connection [with the country] with my better half being Australian and most of our off seasons we spend it in Australia. I like the lifestyle; I like the people.

Valtteri Bottas did not have the greatest start to the 2024 season. Additionally, Sauber hasn’t been on their A-game after committing multiple mistakes down the first two races. Hence, the team needs to pick up the pace and showcase great results in the Australian GP. Rival teams have been minimizing mistakes and providing great competition in the later order of the grid.

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