Cadillac Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas is cycling the 350km distance from Malaysia to Singapore for the upcoming Grand Prix, opting out of a short flight after retiring from the Bahrain Grand Prix held at Sepang.
The Journey from Sepang to Marina Bay
The Finnish driver started his journey hours after spinning out of the chaotic Bahrain Grand Prix, which ran as a one-off event at the Sepang circuit outside Kuala Lumpur. Instead of taking a standard flight or driving, Bottas committed to covering the 350km (217 miles) entirely under his own power. Much of the route cuts off-road across gravel paths. He rides alongside his partner, professional road and gravel cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, who shared training footage of the pair on local palm oil plantations and the Sepang coast on her Instagram account.
Progress on the second stage required nearly six hours in the saddle, during which Bottas covered 161.91km. Bottas also published video footage to Instagram showing himself riding through darkness with a torch illuminating the path ahead. The rigorous trek serves as direct preparation before facing the extreme heat and humidity of the Marina Bay street circuit, where official media duties begin on Thursday ahead of Friday practice.
| Metric / Detail | Statistic |
|---|---|
| Total Cycling Distance | 350km (217 miles) |
| Stage Two Distance | 161.91km (approx. 6 hours) |
| Driver Standing | 22nd (0 points) |
| Retirements / Non-Finishes | 8 Grands Prix |
Endurance Pursuits Outside the Cockpit
This off-road cycling undertaking is part of a broader athletic focus for Bottas away from Grand Prix racing. During Formula 1’s summer hiatus, the 37-year-old secured a spot at the Gravel World Championships after finishing fifth in his age group at a qualifying event in the Czech Republic. However, scheduling conflicts prevent him from competing at the World Championships, as the event falls on the exact same weekend as the Singapore Grand Prix.
Bottas maintains close ties to the sport, serving as a key organizer for FNLD GRVL, an annual summer race held in his native Finland. When the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix was cancelled in 2023, he utilized the unexpected break to compete in a Scottish gravel race. These endurance challenges run parallel to a difficult campaign with his new team, Cadillac, where he has struggled to find consistent pace or finish races.
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