Valtteri Bottas is taking an unusual route to the Singapore Grand Prix, cycling 280 miles from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. The former Mercedes driver, known for his extreme fitness challenges, has raised eyebrows with the move, which was spotted by savvy social media users on his Strava post.
First leg complete
In the first segment of the journey, Bottas ticked off 35 miles, leaving him with around 250 miles left to go. The challenge comes between race weekends, with the rearranged Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia this weekend.
The temperatures in that part of the world are currently north of 30 degrees Celsius, with humidity breaking 70 per cent, and thunderstorms forecast throughout the week, adding to the difficulty of the ride.
Bottas on his cycling passion
Bottas has previously opened up about his love of cycling in an interview on the Pitlane Life Lessons podcast. He remarked: “That’s why I like cycling, because it’s like the opposite. You, as a human, are the engine, you are the machine.”
He also shared an insight from a former Jaguar Formula One team worker who went on to run British Cycling. “One thing he said was, ‘Formula 1 is 90 per cent the car, 10 per cent the driver; cycling is almost exactly the opposite.’ He wasn’t saying that the 10 per cent the driver brings is any less important, because without the whole package, you don’t win.”
Co-founder of FNLD GRVL
Bottas is also a co-founder and partner of FNLD GRVL, a gravel cycling event in Lahti, Finland. He continued: “For me, that’s really refreshing. With Formula One, you need the car and the team to succeed. It’s not a fair sport, that’s for sure. Cycling feels more fair sometimes, and that’s why I enjoy it. It’s almost like a balancing factor.”
