Valtteri Bottas said he encountered a cobra and a python, jumped his bicycle over a large lizard and was chased by a dog during a ride from Malaysia to Singapore ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Formula 1 reported that the Cadillac driver arrived safely after covering 419.67 kilometres over several days.
Bottas described the journey at a Thursday media session, according to Formula 1. His account of the wildlife encounters was also reported by The Race, which said he got stuck behind cows during the trip. The animals and incidents are based on Bottas’s account and were not independently verified in the reporting.
A multi-day ride
The ride began after the race at Sepang and proceeded through Port Dickson, Muar, Batu Pahat and Kulai before reaching Singapore, Formula 1 reported. The outlet put the total distance at 419.67 kilometres. The Race described the journey as taking three days, while Formula 1’s account traces it from a Sunday-night start through Wednesday.
A Malay Mail report, republishing an AsiaOne account, said Bottas crossed into Singapore via the Causeway on the afternoon of October 7, accompanied by a support rider. That report initially described the journey as 350 kilometres, a figure lower than the later 419.67-kilometre total reported by Formula 1.
The ride drew attention in the lead-up to the Singapore Grand Prix, with Bottas discussing it at the Thursday media session. Formula 1 published its account on October 8, while the Associated Press had reported the ride and his arrival plans on October 6.
Bottas’s account of the route
Among the encounters Bottas recounted, he said he saw a cobra and a python and had to lift his bicycle over a large lizard on the path. The Race also reported his account of being pursued by a dog and delayed by cows. The reports attribute those details to Bottas rather than presenting them as independently confirmed observations.
The Race said Bottas hoped the long ride might help with heat acclimatisation ahead of the race. It also reported that the idea began with a light-hearted comment from his partner, Tiffany Cromwell.
Formula 1 described the distance as 419.67 kilometres, while an earlier Malay Mail report gave a 350-kilometre estimate. The available reporting does not explain the difference between the two figures, so the precise total is attributed here to Formula 1 rather than treated as a reconciled measurement.