Cycling, beer and hiking is how Valtteri Bottas has spent a relatively typical New Zealand holiday but it’s the company he’s sharing it with that’s turning heads.
The 10-time Formula 1 race winner has been touring the country with his partner, Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, and shared photos of himself with a wide range of New Zealand race drivers.
New Zealanders first became aware of the 33-year-old’s presence in the country on December 28 when he shared an image from Waiheke Island, tagging the location.
That same evening it was an image shared on Shane van Gisbergen’s Facebook page that sent fans into a frenzy, the Supercars champion and a legion of recognised racecar drivers all enjoying the offerings on Waiheke together.
Included in the group are Formula E driver Mitch Evans and his brother Simon Evans, Australian Supercars driver Scott Pye and Kiwi racing icon Richie Stanaway. They’re joined by Jake Pascoe, Andrew Waite and Ben Dallas.
The image was shared to the Reddit’s Formula 1 subreddit where it received over 1000 upvotes and a range of comments praising the drivers pictured.
The next few days showcased several more scenic Waiheke Island photographs, including a cycling snap, until Bottas and Cromwell moved south to Taupo.
There they’ve met up with New Zealander and World Endurance Champion Brendon Hartley for a day of cycling on New Year’s Eve followed by a mountain hike yesterday.
The Finn appears to be thoroughly enjoying his time in New Zealand and captioned his Waiheke Island photos as postcards.
His trip to New Zealand follows Christmas spent with Cromwell in Australia where citizens are already declaring him an honorary citizen for his new mullet and moustache.
He’s also taken a liking to Australian beer Victoria Bitter, otherwise known as VB, which shares his initials.
Bottas was sighted wearing a singlet with their branding to which the brand responded by sharing a suggestion of a potential livery for his 2023 season with Alfa Romeo.
It’s not clear how long Bottas will remain in New Zealand however he is regularly updating social media with images of his trip.
