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F1 Driver Bottas Cycles 420km Through Jungle to Singapore GP
Confirmed
In Short: Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish driver for Cadillac F1, cycled 420 kilometers from Malaysia to Singapore, arriving in time for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Valtteri Bottas, the Finnish driver for Cadillac F1, cycled 420 kilometers from Malaysia to Singapore, arriving in time for the Formula 1 Grand Prix.
Bottas chose this unconventional route after the cancellation of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, which allowed him to compete in a gravel race in Scotland.
He began his journey on Sunday, cycling 56 kilometers from the track in Sepang to Port Dickson. Monday and Tuesday saw him cover 322 kilometers, arriving in Johor Bahru on Tuesday evening.
On Wednesday, Bottas completed the final 40 kilometers to Singapore, ready for the race weekend.
Bottas encountered various challenges during his ride, including snakes, a dog chase, and getting stuck behind a group of cows.
He described the most challenging part as riding at night in the jungle, where the noise and darkness played tricks on his mind.
Bottas was recognized by locals along the way, who cheered him on during his off-road journey.
The journey was thoroughly planned to ensure he would not be exhausted for the race. Bottas insisted that he would not do it if it would hurt his performance.
Bottas said the ride helped clear his mind and prepare him for a hopefully better weekend in Singapore.
The Singapore Grand Prix is considered the greatest physical test for drivers due to the heat and humidity.
Bottas has not picked up a point in the championship this season, with his best finish being 13th at the Chinese GP in March.
What's confirmed
- "I saw some snakes, which I was a little bit worried about, but actually they were pretty chill. They were just doing their thing," said Bottas.
- "The wildest part was the riding at night in the jungle. The noise in there, your mind starts to play games," added Bottas.
- Valtteri Bottas took an unconventional route to Singapore for this weekend’s Formula One Grand Prix, with the Cadillac driver pedalling 420 km from Malaysia’s Sepang while dodging cobras and pythons on what he described as an “epic” jungle adventure.
What's still developing
- The Finnish driver arrived in Singapore on Wednesday after choosing a 260-mile (419km) bike ride over a flight from last weekend's Formula 1 race in Sepang, outside the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur.
- Unfortunately for Bottas the World Championships take place this weekend as well, so he will be competing on four wheels instead of two.
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- "I had to jump over it on a bike because I saw it last minute. I got chased by one dog, I got stuck behind a group of cows on one small track."
- “Some bits were a little bit stressful, but then I would say probably the first evening when I first experienced the riding in the dark on a single track with the light, because I’ve never really done that before,” he said.
- An avid cyclist, Bottas arrived in time for Thursday’s media commitments at the Marina Bay Circuit after spending days traversing rural roads and dirt tracks on two wheels rather than taking the short flight.
- Bottas commended the Malaysian and Singapore locals for their attitude towards his journey, revealing he was recognised on some parts of the ride. "I did have some road sections, but as much as possible was off-road," he said. "Once the news started to break that I'm actually doing it, there were some locals who recognised me, cheering me on, which was cool."
- "I obviously wouldn't do it if I knew it would hurt my performance," Bottas told media including RacingNews365.
- "Riding with your lights at night, that was probably the most epic part in the forest." Bottas commended the Malaysian and Singapore locals for their attitude towards his journey, revealing he was recognised on some parts of the ride.
- The Cadillac F1 driver, a keen and competitive cyclist, opted to take on the challenge of travelling more than 200 miles by bike after F1 rearranged its calendar to put the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia the week before the usual Singapore race.
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