Lost a Formula 1 cockpit and no new one in sight? The Finn Valtteri Bottas initially reacted with humor and recorded a bizarre video. Then he showed what he was made of: He did an Ironman in his own four walls like Frodeno once did. He reported in the meantime.
With a loud scream he stops, supports himself on the treadmill and grimaces in pain. But it goes on. On and on, on and on. His step slows, he limps. Interrupts. Carry on.
It’s not his profession, but giving up doesn’t count. Formula 1 driver Valtteri Bottas has never run a marathon before, and now the Finn is taking on an Ironman. At home like Frodeno once did, cheering him on via video call. The German Hawaii champion called his project “Tri@home” during the Corona period, Bottas calls his adventure “in-villa-ironman”. There are more unsportsmanlike reactions to the end of a job.
His employer Sauber announced on Wednesday that the 35-year-old would have to vacate his cockpit for the coming season. Future uncertain. In addition to the Finn, his driver colleague Guanyu Zhou also has to go. The Sauber team, which is currently lagging behind with no chance and is in the transition to Audi, will start in 2025 with a new driver duo: Nico Hülkenberg – that has been clear for a long time – and the Brazilian Gabriel Bortoleto.
And what does Bottas do? Shortly after the official press release from his current employer, he uploaded a video to social media. In it he thanks his team and says: “Where one door closes, another opens. I’m already really looking forward to what awaits me next.”
What that will be is uncertain. In any case, it shouldn’t be a cockpit in Formula 1, as only Racing Bulls still has one available and Bottas doesn’t seem to play a role there. That’s why he doesn’t lose his sense of humor. The video message ends in a bizarre way: the camera zooms out and for the first time you can see Bottas from top to bottom – he stood in front of the camera the whole time in his underwear. In some ways, an almost seamless transition to this Friday’s video.
And at the end, when it’s done, the reward comes
Bottas initially lies in bed there. He asks his friend and photographer Paul Ripke: “What next?” – “Ironman!” he says and pulls the blanket away. Bottas already has his swimming trunks on. I quickly pushed open the patio door and went into the pool for 3.8 kilometers, more than 200 lengths in the small pool. In between a coffee and sweets – and we continue with a pretty decent crawl technique and rolling turns. Time shows that Bottas is not a swimming beginner: after 1:05:52 hours he heaves himself out of the water.
Get out of the pool and quickly into the transition area, which consists of a chair on the terrace. Put on your shoes, pants and shirt, then get on the roller trainer in the house and pedal. After 5:30 hours, the 180 kilometers were completed.
From the bike you go straight onto the treadmill, which is in the same room, without a break. Bottas has now gotten rid of the T-shirt and the smile has disappeared from his face. Now another marathon.
Jan Frodeno can be seen on the cell phone screen and heard through the loudspeaker. “Come on, go, go, my friend,” shouts the 2008 Olympic champion and three-time Hawaii champion. Bottas replies exhausted: “I’ve never done a marathon. But I’ll do it.” It gets hard, every now and then he gets off the belt and works his muscles with a foam roller. Not much is possible anymore. The sun is setting outside.
Then it’s dark – and inside, Valtteri Bottas is celebrating his last steps on the treadmill after a marathon of 4:32:54 hours.
Job lost, first marathon, first long-distance triathlon – a grueling week for the 35-year-old Finn. The last picture of Friday evening shows him with a well-groomed glass of red wine. There has to be a reward.
See the Bottas video on Facebook here and on Instagram here.
