News Summary
- Valtteri Bottas has completed a 350km cycling journey from Sepang to Singapore ahead of this weekend’s F1 Grand Prix
- The Cadillac driver started the ride only hours after retiring from the Bahrain GP in Malaysia on Sunday
- Bottas crossed the Causeway into Singapore on Wednesday afternoon, one day before his scheduled F1 media commitments
Valtteri Bottas has arrived at the Singapore GP after choosing a considerably more demanding route than the rest of the Formula 1 paddock.
Rather than flying or driving from Malaysia following Sunday’s Bahrain GP at Sepang, the Cadillac driver spent three days cycling approximately 350km to Singapore, combining paved roads with gravel tracks and rural routes before crossing the border on Wednesday afternoon.
Bottas entered Singapore through the Causeway at approximately 14:20 local time, according to AsiaOne, which followed the final stage of his journey. By 14:40, the 37-year-old had passed Woodlands Crossing and continued towards the city ahead of his scheduled media commitments on Thursday.
The trip began only hours after a disappointing end to Bottas’ weekend at Sepang. He retired from the race after spinning into the gravel on lap nine, then swapped his Cadillac for a bicycle and started heading south.
Bottas started riding hours after retiring at Sepang
Bottas did not wait until Monday to begin the journey.
His first recorded ride started on Sunday night after the Grand Prix and covered 56.6km in 128 minutes, taking him from the Sepang International Circuit towards the Port Dickson area.
The second stage was considerably longer. Bottas rode 161.91km in approximately 5h45min on Monday, travelling through the Malaysian countryside on a route that included gravel roads, dirt tracks and palm oil plantations.
“Yes, I’m riding to Singapore… on the gravel roads less travelled,” Bottas wrote while documenting the journey on social media.
The Finn continued south through Melaka and Johor, reaching Kulai on Tuesday evening before completing the final stage into Singapore on Wednesday.
Bottas was accompanied during the journey by Malaysian cyclist Shaiful Nizam Yahya, while Singapore-based cyclist Wilfred Diepeveen joined him after waiting near Woodlands Crossing for his arrival.
Cycling has become a major part of Bottas’ life
The journey is unusual for a Formula 1 driver between consecutive race weekends, but the choice of bicycle is considerably less surprising in Bottas’ case.
Cycling has become one of the Finn’s main sporting interests away from F1, and he regularly competes in gravel events. His partner, Tiffany Cromwell, is a professional cyclist who races on both road and gravel.
Bottas competed in the UCI Gravel World Championships in 2024 and qualified for the 2026 edition, although he cannot participate this year because the event clashes with the Singapore GP.
His interest goes beyond occasional competition. Bottas has incorporated cycling extensively into his physical preparation and uses it as an alternative form of endurance training during the Formula 1 season.
The three-day ride between races therefore combined transportation with the type of training he already performs regularly, although 350km immediately before Singapore represents a considerably greater workload than a normal pre-race cycling session.
Singapore presents a very different physical challenge
Bottas’ arrival is particularly notable because Marina Bay is already regarded as one of the most physically demanding events on the F1 calendar.
High temperatures and humidity combine with the stop-start nature of the street circuit to place significant strain on drivers, while the race traditionally runs close to the two-hour limit.
Singapore also hosts a sprint for the first time this season, increasing the amount of competitive running across the weekend. Drivers have only one practice session on Friday before sprint qualifying, followed by the sprint and Grand Prix qualifying on Saturday.
Bottas nevertheless scheduled his journey to ensure he arrived before Thursday’s mandatory media commitments, leaving time to recover before taking to the track on Friday.
The 2026 Singapore GP begins with FP1 and sprint qualifying on Friday, with Sunday’s Grand Prix starting at 20:00 local time.
GRANDE PRÊMIO follows all the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is the 2026 Singapore GP?
The Singapore GP starts at 20:00 local time on Sunday, October 11. That is 13:00 in the UK, 08:00 ET in the US and Canada and 17:30 in India. Singapore is a sprint weekend, with sprint qualifying on Friday and the sprint on Saturday.
Why does George Russell have a grid penalty in Singapore?
Russell has exhausted his permitted allocation of four engines after suffering a power-unit failure at Sepang. Mercedes must introduce another unit, triggering a grid penalty for Sunday’s Grand Prix. The penalty does not apply to Saturday’s sprint.
Can Kimi Antonelli win the F1 championship in Singapore?
No. Antonelli leads Russell by 84 points, 320 to 236, but cannot mathematically secure the 2026 title in Singapore. His first opportunity to become world champion comes at the United States GP in Austin.
Did Valtteri Bottas cycle from Sepang to Singapore?
Yes. Bottas completed an approximately 350km bicycle journey from Sepang to Singapore after the Bahrain GP in Malaysia, travelling over three days before crossing into Singapore on Wednesday.
