It is no secret that Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is an avid cyclist. But riding his bike from one F1 race directly to the next? That’s a new one. This past weekend, he competed in the Malaysian Grand Prix at the Sepang circuit – won by Max Verstappen – and immediately after crossing (or rather, failing to cross) the finish line, Bottas hopped onto his bike to set course for the Singapore Grand Prix, where racing action resumes this coming Friday.
The entire journey spans roughly 320 kilometers. Right after his F1 race in Malaysi – where the Finn unfortunately did not manage to reach the finish – Bottas logged the first 56 kilometers. Today, he tackled an additional 160-plus kilometers aboard his Canyon gravel bike, leaving him with just over 100 kilometers left to ride tomorrow. Notably, Bottas rode his opening leg almost entirely in the dark. While the drivers will get back behind the wheel on Friday, Thursday already brings a mandatory media day.
Bottas is a passionate and accomplished gravel cyclist. Earlier this year, he even qualified for the UCI Gravel World Championships, which take place this same weekend in Nannup, Australia. Because Bottas will be racing in Singapore, he has to sit out the Gravel Worlds.
His love for cycling isn’t purely individual – his wife, Tiffany Cromwell, finished fifth at the 2014 Road World Championships and ninth at the Tour of Flanders that same year. Cromwell has since shifted her focus to gravel racing as well.
