Valtteri Bottas has revealed the details of an incident-packed 418km bike ride including encounters with snakes, being chased by dogs and the eerie atmosphere of riding through the jungle at night as the Cadillac driver cycled between Malaysia and Singapore this week.
The 37-year-old is a keen cyclist and after a suggestion from his girlfriend, the Australian Olympic cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, he decided to take on the challenge of riding from the last round in Sepang near Kuala Lumpur to this weekend’s grand prix on the street circuit in Singapore, under his own steam.
He managed the journey, which the rest of the F1 paddock undertook in flights that last just over an hour, in four days of riding including off-road and gravel sections beginning on the Sunday after the race in Malaysia. He completed 56.6km on the Sunday, before putting in two big stints on Monday and Tuesday, both of 161km, before concluding with 40.16km to finish on Wednesday.
Speaking before this Sunday’s night race in Singapore the Finn, who has won 10 grands prix, described events that included leaping over a lizard en route.
“Saw some snakes, which I was a little bit worried about but actually they were pretty chill. They were just doing their thing,” he said. “I saw one cobra, saw one python just crossing the path in front of me. Saw some of those big lizards that you also see here.
“One was on the path, I had to jump over it with a bike. So I saw it like last minute. Got chased by one dog. Got stuck behind a group of cows on a small track. Eventually they moved away.”
He admitted it had been hard, but added that it was a unique experience. “What was the wildest part was the riding at night in the jungle. The noise in there is like … your mind starts to play games of what is out there. But then you just need to crack on and keep going. Riding with your lights at night, that was probably the most epic part in the forest.”
Bottas has taken part in cycling events when he is away from F1. Earlier this year he finished fifth in his age group in a qualifying event in Czechia for the Gravel World Championships, earning him a place in the competition which he is unable to take up because it clashes with the race this weekend.
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With Cadillac in their first season in F1 the team are still very much coming up to speed. Bottas has yet to score a point and is 22nd in the drivers’ standings, with eight DNFs in what was always going to be a difficult year for the fledgling team. He observed that the heat on the journey had made his bike seat like a “cheese grinder” but that it would not impair his build up to this weekend’s race.
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“I obviously wouldn’t do it if I knew it hurt my preparation,” he said. “So I’m pretty good. The amount of sweat in those days was quite impressive. You get used to the heat the more time you spend in the heat, so that can help me hopefully a little bit.”
Quick GuideRwanda GP expected in 2030
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Rwanda will host an F1 Grand Prix in 2030, it is understood, marking the first race in decades on the African continent. The nation has been chasing a Grand Prix race for years, having already used football, basketball and other sports to enhance its image and attract investment. A source in the country’s government told AFP: “Rwanda’s bid to host the Formula 1 race has been greenlit, an agreement has been reached.” An official announcement is expected to be announced in the Rwandan capital, Kigali, next week, with Qatar supporting the project. President Paul Kagame formally announced the bid when Rwanda hosted a gathering of the FIA in December 2024. “It all comes down to respect, and giving everyone the chance to contribute, where they can,” he said at the time.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton has long called for an African stop on the F1 circuit, backing Rwanda’s plans in 2024 and calling the country “one of my favourite places”. AFP
The race in Sepang was a one-off to stand in for the cancelled Bahrain GP, but it is believed talks have opened about a potential return for the circuit in future, which Bottas said may prompt him to repeat the feat.
“When I got to the hotel yesterday afternoon, I said to myself, no, not again. But now, today, I’m like, yeah. Let’s see.”
