Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas has opted for an unusual route to this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, avoiding a short flight and instead cycling the 350km (217 miles) from Malaysia.
His journey began just hours after spinning out of Sunday’s chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held at Sepang outside the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur as a one-off.
The Finnish driver is making the journey – much of which is off-road and on gravel – alongside his partner, professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, and will need to be in Singapore for his media commitments on Thursday.
On Monday, stage two of his journey, he spent nearly six hours on his bike, covering 161.91km.
Swapping the driver’s seat for the saddle before reaching the heat and humidity of Marina Bay this weekend is just another in a series of cycling-related endeavours for Bottas.
The 37-year-old earned a spot at the Gravel World Championships following a fifth-placed finish in his age group as an off-road qualifying event in the Czech Republic during Formula 1’s summer hiatus.
But the World Championships take place on the same weekend as the Singapore Grand Prix, so he will be unable to use his place.
Bottas is closely involved with FNLD GRVL, a race held each summer in his native Finland, and, when the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled in 2023, he decided to use the time to compete in a gravel race in Scotland.
Cycling has become one of Bottas’ main pursuits away from F1, frequently sharing training rides and races with Cromwell.
Bottas has endured a difficult return to Formula 1 with new team Cadillac this season. He is 22nd in the drivers’ standings, is yet to score a point after 16 Grands Prix and has failed to finish eight races.