Just another day in paradise for Valtteri Bottas

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Valtteri Bottas kicked off his year in the Southern Hemisphere on beautiful Lord Howe Island just off Aussieland where the Finn is recharging his batteries along with his partner, Aussie pro-cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.

The former Mercedes driver has opened a new chapter in his F1 career with Alfa Romeo Racing, a move that will inevitably see the ten-time Grand Prix winner take a step back on the grid, a mentally challenging affair for a man used to battling at the front in the past five seasons.

Speaking of mental challenges, Bottas has opened up to his trials and tribulations and to his life in general in a series if podcasts produced by Finnish broadcaster Supla.

The 32-year-old - who keeps a fairly low profile in his daily life - says that he genuinely wanted his fans to know more about himself, with the collection of podcasts covering a variety of topics such his roots, money, love, life values, dreams, pressure, winning and success, and fear.

"I started this podcast in Finland, it's actually in Finnish," Bottas explained. "It's not so easy to translate!

"But it's basically a podcast of I think seven or eight episodes about me, really open talking about my experiences so far in my life and career.

"And I mainly did it for people, especially in Finland, because they don't really know me that well. I think they have a right to know me a bit better as a human being."

Bottas admitted that recording the series and opening up about himself had actually been a sor of therapeutic exercise.

"I've been speaking about any topics very openly, and there's nothing that I can't say in that podcast," he added.

"It has actually been almost therapeutic to speak about certain topics, [being] very open, [describing things] just like they are.

"So it's been nice, and I'm sure about some things there will be some talks or headlines, but I don't care. It's nice to share my experiences."

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.