Formula One driver Valtteri Bottas has traded four wheels for two, choosing to cycle about 350km from Malaysia to Singapore instead of taking a flight ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The 37-year-old Finnish driver, who races for Cadillac, began the unusual journey after retiring early from Sunday’s Bahrain Grand Prix, which was held at Malaysia’s Sepang International Circuit.
Rather than heading directly to Singapore by car or plane, Bottas strapped on his cycling gear and set off on a multi-day endurance ride through Malaysia.
His team said he planned to complete the journey over three days, arriving in Singapore in time for his mandatory media commitments on Thursday, Oct. 8. Practice for the Singapore Grand Prix begins on Friday, Oct. 9.
Bottas documents journey on the road
Bottas has been documenting the ride on social media, including footage of himself cycling along dark roads with a light attached to his bike.
His Strava activity showed that he covered 56.6km in just over two hours during the first stage of the trip, travelling from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport area towards Port Dickson.
He subsequently completed a much longer second stage, spending almost six hours on the bike and covering 161.91km through the Malaysian countryside, according to reports.
The route has included gravel tracks and off-road stretches, fitting the type of endurance cycling that Bottas has increasingly embraced away from the Formula One paddock.
The journey has also attracted attention from cycling and motorsport fans, with people in Malaysia posting sightings of the Cadillac driver as he made his way south.
From Sepang to Singapore instead of a flight
For most F1 drivers, travelling between consecutive race venues would involve a short flight or a team-arranged road transfer.
Bottas chose a very different option.
The roughly 350km journey will take him from the Sepang area, south through Malaysia and eventually across the border into Singapore.
He is expected to reach the city-state before his Thursday media obligations, giving him only a short window to transition from the bicycle back to the Formula One environment.
Bottas’ decision is particularly notable because the Singapore Grand Prix is known for its demanding conditions. The Marina Bay Street Circuit is a physically challenging street track, with high temperatures, humidity and a long race placing significant demands on drivers.
Cycling is a serious part of Bottas’ life
While the cross-country journey may seem unusual for an F1 driver, cycling is far from a casual hobby for Bottas.
The Finn regularly takes part in gravel and endurance cycling events and has used the sport as a way to maintain his fitness and unwind away from racing.
He is also a co-founder of FNLD GRVL, a gravel cycling event in Finland, and has frequently trained alongside his partner, Australian professional road and gravel cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.
Cromwell has also been involved in the current journey, with the pair previously sharing footage of training rides around the Sepang area and nearby palm oil plantations.
Bottas has previously described cycling as a contrast to his life in Formula One, where the machinery does most of the physical work.
On a bicycle, he has to provide the power himself.
That interest has developed into competitive cycling, with Bottas recently qualifying for the Gravel World Championships after finishing fifth in his age category at an off-road event in the Czech Republic.
The championships, however, coincide with the Singapore Grand Prix, meaning his Formula One commitments prevent him from taking part.
A difficult weekend at Sepang
Bottas’ decision to cycle to Singapore came after a difficult weekend at Sepang.
The venue hosted the Bahrain Grand Prix this year after the original race location was changed because of the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. It marked Formula One’s return to Sepang for the first time since 2017.
The race itself proved frustrating for Bottas.
He retired early after spinning off the wet track following a decision to switch to slick tyres as conditions changed. The incident added another difficult result to Cadillac’s first season in Formula One.
Cadillac entered Formula One as the championship’s 11th team in 2026, with Bottas and Sergio Perez serving as its drivers.
The team has yet to score a championship point this season, according to Formula One’s official team standings.
For Bottas, the cycling trip therefore offers something of a reset before the next race.
Bottas returns to a familiar Singapore circuit
The Singapore Grand Prix will bring Bottas back to a circuit where he has previously enjoyed success.
He finished third at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in 2017 while driving for Mercedes, recording one of his podium finishes during his Formula One career.
This time, however, he will arrive in Singapore after completing hundreds of kilometres on a bicycle rather than travelling in the conventional manner used by the rest of the F1 paddock.
His challenge is now to recover from the ride and prepare for another demanding race weekend.
The timing leaves little room for rest. Bottas is scheduled for media duties on Thursday before practice begins Friday, followed by the remainder of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend.
From racing car to gravel bike
Bottas’ unusual journey has once again highlighted how deeply cycling has become intertwined with his life away from Formula One.
For a driver accustomed to travelling between races by plane and spending weekends inside a 300km/h racing machine, covering hundreds of kilometres under his own power is an unconventional way to prepare for the next Grand Prix.
But for Bottas, cycling has long been more than a recreational activity.
It is a competitive pursuit, a training tool and, by his own description, a way to experience something completely different from life behind the wheel.
Now, after travelling from Malaysia towards Singapore on gravel roads and country routes, Bottas will have to swap the bicycle for his Cadillac race car once again.
The next test will come at Marina Bay, where the Finnish driver will look to turn an extraordinary journey between races into a more conventional Formula One weekend.
