Valtteri Bottas has chosen a demanding way to reach this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, cycling around 350km from Malaysia instead of taking a short flight.
The Cadillac driver began the journey shortly after a difficult Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, where he spun out during Sunday’s chaotic race. The Malaysian circuit hosted the event as a one-off before Formula 1 moves on to Singapore.
Bottas is completing much of the route with his partner, professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. Large sections take them away from main roads and onto gravel, adding another physical challenge before he returns to Formula 1 duties at Marina Bay.
The Finnish driver needs to arrive in Singapore in time for his scheduled media appearances on Thursday. During Monday’s second stage, he spent almost six hours riding and covered 161.91km.
Cycling has become a major part of Bottas’ life away from Formula 1. The 37-year-old regularly trains and competes alongside Cromwell and has increasingly taken part in gravel events during breaks in the racing calendar.
Earlier this year, Bottas earned qualification for the Gravel World Championships after finishing fifth in his age category at a qualifying race in the Czech Republic during Formula 1’s summer break. However, the championship event clashes with the Singapore Grand Prix, preventing him from taking up the place.
He is also closely connected with FNLD GRVL, an annual race staged in Finland. When the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled in 2023, Bottas used the unexpected free weekend to enter a gravel cycling event in Scotland.
His endurance challenge comes during a difficult season on track. Bottas returned to Formula 1 with new entrant Cadillac but has yet to score a point after 16 Grands Prix. He sits 22nd in the drivers’ standings and has failed to finish eight races.
After completing the long ride from Malaysia, Bottas will quickly have to switch his focus back to Formula 1 as drivers prepare for the physically demanding heat and humidity of the Singapore night race.