Valtteri Bottas Cycles 419km From Malaysia to Singapore GP

What changed

Valtteri Bottas cycled 260 miles (419km) from Malaysia to Singapore after last weekend’s Malaysian Grand Prix, choosing two wheels over a flight before this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. The Cadillac driver arrived on Wednesday after riding through jungle, gravel trails and darkness, where he encountered snakes, a cobra, a python, lizards, a dog and a group of cows.

Why it matters

Bottas is not treating cycling as a holiday hobby. He is an accomplished gravel rider who qualified for the Gravel World Championships, though that race falls on the same weekend as Singapore’s Grand Prix.

The contrast with his Formula 1 season is stark. Bottas is 22nd in the drivers’ standings, has no points after 16 Grands Prix and has failed to finish eight races. On the bike, he is chasing a challenge he chose for himself. In the Cadillac, he is still searching for a result.

The most revealing part of the journey may have been the night riding. Bottas said the jungle noise made his mind ask what might be out there, before he simply carried on. That sounds less like a stunt than a glimpse of the mindset he needs in Singapore: manage the fear, keep moving, and hope the finish line finally stays in view.

Whether the 419-kilometre ride helps or hinders his Grand Prix performance remains unknown.