Shop
Bottas will head to Adelaide next January alongside partner Tiffany Cromwell for the second edition of RADL GRVL.
The cycling event, set for January 24 but has events in the days leading in, is held in conjunction with the Tour Down Under.
Bottas and Cromwell co-own RADL GRVL and have released a teaser video ahead of entries opening for next year’s race.
The Adelaide event sits alongside a similar race held in Bottas’ native Finland, FNLD GRVL, at which Cromwell won the women’s category this year.
The tongue-in-cheek promotional video opens with that success, leaving Bottas in tears.
“They used to love me here,” the Finn said.
“I don’t know what’s going on. Finland was Valtteri’s…”
It goes on to show the 10-time grand prix winner being asked to take photos of fans with Cromwell, and other riders refusing to help the 34-year-old.
“Please Tiffany, can we go back to Adelaide because I really want to do RADL GRVL again,” he pleads.
Her response: “Fine, if we must. We can go for Tour Down Under, but stop being such a bogan. You’re embarrassing.”
More on Valtteri Bottas and Sauber
👉 F1 2024 mid-season report: Sauber
👉 Australian break helped Bottas process ‘disappointment’ of 2023
Bottas has come out of his shell since leaving Mercedes at the end of 2021.
He’s embraced ‘Australian’ style with a mullet haircut and budgie smugglers as he creates a new public persona.
He’s also become a regular in Adelaide, Cromwell’s hometown, and increasingly active in cycling events.
That led to his involvement as co-founder of FNLD GRVL, which has since expanded to RADL GRVL.
The inaugural RADL GRVL was held in Adelaide this year.
In addition to that event, Bottas also featured at the Adelaide Motorsport Festival, where Speedcafe adopted him as an honorary Australian.
It’s not Bottas’ only venture outside of F1; he owns Kahiwa Coffee Roasters, has a gin brand, is a part-owner in the Lahti Pelicans ice hockey team.
He has also raised significant money for charity through sales of images and calendars, his BOTTASS 2024 calendar alone raising $150,000 for Movember.
Bottas admitted to Speedcafe last September that a move to Australia was high on his list.
“Since the first time I went there, just the lifestyle and culture are pretty cool, and I actually feel the humour, compared to Finnish people, is really similar. They’re pretty sarcastic,” he said.
“Of course, they are a bit more outgoing and things but they’re always lovely.
“And then definitely when I got to know Tiff, got to learn a bit more about Australia and see more places then, of course, I fell in love with the country.
“She knows all the best spots, and has taught me a lot more about the culture and a bit about the slang, all those kind of things.”
