Valtteri Bottas and wife Emilia have gone their separate ways, the couple announcing on Thursday the end of their three-year marriage.
Bottas took to Twitter to confirm the news to the media and to his fans, invoking "career and life situation" challenges.
The seven-time Grand Prix winner and the 27-year-old former Olympic swimmer had been together since 2010, well before Bottas' graduation to F1 with Williams in 2013.
"I will be forever thankful for all the sacrifices she had to make for me, for her support during many years and for all the experiences that we have had together," Bottas wrote.
"I trust that you will respect both of us and our privacy regarding this matter. This will be all I have to say and comment regarding our divorce."
Fans of the Finn saddened by the news also learnt that their man's prospects of finishing the season on a high took a hit following Mercedes' decision to change the power unit in Bottas' W10 following an engine failure in Brazil.
The component changes will send Bottas to the back of the grid on Sunday.
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