Valtteri Bottas, the Formula 1 driver who has yet to score a point in the 2024 season, took a break from four wheels and hit the gravel on two wheels instead. During the weekend break before the Miami Grand Prix, Bottas participated in an endurance cycling race in South Africa.
The Finnish driver, who had engine trouble in the last race in China, finished sixth in his age group in the Swartberg 100 Gran Fondo, a 170km gravel bike race. This achievement qualified him for the 2024 UCI Gravel World Championships, a goal he had set for himself earlier in the year.
Bottas’s girlfriend, Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, also raced in the event and won the women’s race. The couple’s participation in the race was not just for personal achievement, as Bottas revealed on social media that he raced for the Princess Charlene of Monaco Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing drowning and saving lives.
In a heartwarming gesture, Bottas announced that his race gear would be auctioned off to support the foundation’s causes. The Finn’s dedication to cycling and his commitment to making a difference off the track showcase a different side to the Formula 1 driver, who is known for his speed and skill behind the wheel.