A gravel bike instead of a private jet: Valtteri Bottas cycles through Malaysia

​Finnish Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas is known as a keen amateur cyclist. He is frequently seen on social media riding his gravel bike. In 2024, he took part in the Gravel World Championships in Belgium and has already qualified for the next Gravel World Championships in Australia. At the weekend, the Formula 1 driver competed in the Malaysian Grand Prix but was forced to retire. The next race on his calendar is the Formula 1 race in Singapore. He travelled there on his gravel bike.

Valtteri Bottas in Malaysia

On the first day, the itinerary covered just 56.6 kilometres – from Kuala Lumpur Airport to a small coastal village. He arrived there in complete darkness. The second day then offered a mix of exercise and fascinating natural scenery. The itinerary included 162 kilometres across sandy tracks, country roads and narrow trails running parallel to the coast. The trail was more of a rough footpath, and his journey took a correspondingly long time. He often rode through and alongside palm oil plantations. Once again, he reached his destination by the light of his headlamp. On the third day, he cycled another 161 kilometres along sandy tracks and narrow paths. Along the way, he came across a herd of cattle blocking the path and passed a crocodile farm. On the final day, it was a manageable 40 kilometres to Singapore city centre. The 410-kilometre journey was also gruelling due to the climate: the humidity was around 68 per cent and the temperature was around 30 degrees.

The gravel bike as a training tool

Bottas is known as a keen cyclist – he rides both road bikes and gravel bikes. He’s probably included the gravel ride as part of his training programme to get in shape for the Gravel World Championships in Australia. The Finn has been competing in gravel races all over the world for several years and has stood on the podium on numerous occasions. The Gravel World Championships in Belgium, races in Australia, the USA, South Africa, Scotland and Finland – his cycling CV reads like an itinerary. This year, he has already finished fifth in his age group at the Gravel Tour Hlinsko in the Czech Republic, thereby qualifying for the World Championships. The fact that cycling plays such a big part in his life is down to his partner, the Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell. Originally, he kept fit mainly by running, but Cromwell turned him into a cyclist. “F1 races are really demanding – when you’re travelling at over 300 kilometres per hour on the circuit, you’re dealing with G-forces that are otherwise only experienced by fighter pilots. You need a lot of stamina, which is why Formula 1 drivers spend so much time training,” he explains in an interview with his cycling sponsor, Canyon.

Valtteri Bottas, Formula 1 star

Valtteri Bottas is a Finnish Formula 1 driver who was born in Nastola in 1989. He made his Formula 1 debut in 2013 for Williams, where he quickly established himself as a reliable and fast driver. From 2017 to 2021, he drove for Mercedes alongside Lewis Hamilton, winning ten Grands Prix and finishing as runner-up in the world championship twice. He then moved to Alfa Romeo (formerly Sauber), but was rarely able to challenge for the top places there due to the car’s lack of competitiveness. After a year as a Mercedes reserve driver, he returned to Formula 1 in 2026 as a regular driver for the new Cadillac team. Bottas is regarded as calm, team-oriented and technically astute, and off the track he is particularly known for his enthusiasm for cycling and his dry sense of humour.

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