Formula One star Valterri Bottas visited the now defunct Adelaide F1 track on Tuesday night
Valtteri Bottas took out a one-week membership with the Norwood Cycling Club as he raced at the now defunct Formula One track.
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Valtteri Bottas raced a bike wearing no. 77 on a section of Adelaide’s now defunct Formula One track on Tuesday night.
Bottas, 30, had the same number when he finished second in the F1 championship racing for Mercedes last year.
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The F1 superstar took out a one-week membership with the Norwood Cycling Club, founded in 1883 and is the oldest in the southern hemisphere.
He raced in the B-Grade crits at Victoria Park.
Norwood Cycling Club treasurer David Habib confirmed that Bottas did race and he was the biggest sportsman outside of cycling to officially tackle a criterium.
“He stayed with the pace, dropped off a bit but then he did finish it,” Habib said.
“The crowd was respectful, they let him do his thing.
“We purposely didn’t publish his name on the start list but we did release it later.
“He liked the experience and then told us he was heading back to Europe on a late night (Tuesday) flight.
“Valteri started with our B Grade field and held his own in the early laps.
“However once the attacks started and the pace was on, he dropped off the back. To his credit he kept going and completed the race.
“We made sure Valteri was allocated race number 77, the same as he races with in F1. He thought that was a nice touch.
“Norwood Cycling Club was honoured that he chose to select us to race with. He’s certainly our most high profile member and we’ll be following his progress with interest during the upcoming F1 season.”
On Facebook, Bottas said he was it was a “cool experience” to race on the Adelaide racetrack.
“Never thought I’d be racing on Adelaide racetrack one day...and with a bike!” he said.
“I’m still as slow as a turtle on a bike, but a cool experience to do my first race at the local crit and another solid training session.
“Training-wise it’s been the best off season I’ve had in terms and quality.”
The Advertiser revealed Bottas was in early January holidaying in South Australia with good friend, Adelaide-born cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, as he prepares for the new F1 season.
Bottas was also at stage 6 of the Santos Tour Down Under at Willunga Hill according to his Instagram account.
Bottas is soon expected to return to Australia to line up for the first race of the new F1 season in Melbourne on March 15.
He won last year’s Australian F1 opener.
Originally published as Formula One star Valterri Bottas visited the now defunct Adelaide F1 track on Tuesday night