Four days on two wheels
Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas cycled from Sepang, near Kuala Lumpur, to Singapore for this weekend's night race, while the rest of the F1 paddock flew. The Guardian reports that the flights last just over an hour. Bottas began riding on the Sunday after the Sepang race, just hours after spinning out of the chaotic grand prix, according to the BBC. The Guardian gives his daily distances as 56.6 km on Sunday, two stints of 161 km on Monday and Tuesday, and 40.16 km on Wednesday to finish. Reported totals vary by outlet, from 418 km in The Guardian to 430 km in the Frankfurter Allgemeine. Bottas rode late in the day to take advantage of cooler temperatures and to shift his body clock ahead of the 8 p.m. local start in Singapore, the New York Times reports.
Snakes, a lizard and a chasing dog
Ahead of the Singapore race, Bottas told reporters that he had been worried about the snakes but found them pretty chill. He described the encounters in detail.
I saw one cobra, saw one python just crossing the path in front of me.
He also saw a large lizard on the path and cleared it on his bike after spotting it at the last minute. A dog chased him once, and he was stuck behind a group of cows on a small track until they moved away. The night riding through the jungle was the part he found hardest to handle.
The wildest part was the riding at night in the jungle.
He said the noise made his mind play games about what was out there, but he kept going with his lights on.
How the idea started
His partner, Australian Olympic cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, first suggested the trip. Bottas recalled her telling him it was not that far, and he decided he could do it if it was planned properly. He checked the distance and the roads before setting out. Cromwell is retiring after this weekend's UCI Gravel World Championships in Australia, according to the New York Times. Bottas qualified for his age group at the championships earlier this year, finishing fifth at a qualifying event in the Czech Republic, but he will not take part because of the clash with the Singapore race.
Team response and on-track struggles
Cadillac told AFP that the bike ride was a private activity. Bottas told dpa that nothing is planned yet for another adventure and that he first needs to look at next year's calendar. On track, he has not scored a point in 16 grands prix this season, sits 22nd in the drivers' standings and has failed to finish eight races, according to the BBC.
Audi driver Nico Hülkenberg finished 11th in the chaotic Sepang race, just missing the points, and blamed Bottas for spinning early in the race.
I would have preferred it if he had not spun on Sunday and had concentrated a bit more on the race rather than on his bike tour, because he really spoiled my race.