Mooroopna isn’t the sort of place you would expect to see an international Formula 1 star. But, Finnish Alfa Romeo driver Valtteri Bottas fits right in to the regional town in Victoria’s central north.
Perhaps it’s because Bottas (aka VB) adopted a mullet and a Victoria Bitter shirt in a viral video during his extensive Australian travels during the off-season. The 10-time F1 race winner’s partner is Australian professional cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, and the pair cycled from Melbourne to Adelaide via the Great Ocean Road over summer.
“The more I’ve seen, the more I’ve fallen in love with the country and the lifestyle,” Bottas says. “Just the scenery and the people and everything was so nice.”
Bottas was in Mooroopna on Tuesday to visit Save the Children’s kindergarten, which provides a safe space for children from Indigenous and diverse backgrounds. The kindergarten was severely damaged in floods last year and Bottas will auction off one of two specially designed race helmets – crafted by Indigenous artist Ricky Kildea – to support it. The service says it is facing an imminent funding cliff due to a rural teacher shortage, which could force it to close its doors.
After arriving to a smoking ceremony, Bottas was soon answering questions from kids. When one asked what he did, the 33-year-old said in a typically understated manner: “In a nutshell, I drive cars … quite fast.” He also revealed his superstition before a race was to always have a cup of coffee, and later praised Australian coffee quality.
The former Mercedes driver says his summer trip to the barber to get a distinctly Australian haircut was just some online fun, but his connection to the country was very real. The Australian Grand Prix – which he won in 2019 – is his favourite race of the year.
“I always enjoy it here and obviously have the connection through my girlfriend. And I’ve also got to know many people from here,” he says. “And when it’s off-season in Formula 1, then it is summer here, so it is a good time to visit.”
Valtteri Bottas with his bespoke Indigenous design helmet.Credit:Alfa Romeo F1 Team Stake
Bottas and Cromwell thought of the idea for his racing helmet’s Indigenous art design while they were travelling through Australia in December after the Finn began to learn more about the country’s culture.
Bottas can’t pick a favourite spot on the Great Ocean Road, but reflects fondly on the couple’s relaxed journey.
“We are both so competitive that it’s better that we don’t compete against each other, so we ride together,” he says.
Cromwell says Bottas is a strong cyclist and this year aims to clock 10,000 kilometres on the bike. “Last year it was 7777 and at the start of December he still had 2000 kilometres to ride, so he did a very big December with me,” she tells The Age and Sydney Morning Herald from Monaco. “In December we rode bikes a lot. So, this year he’s trying to start a bit earlier because he has set a bigger goal.”
The former drivers’ championship runner-up also arrived early for the grand prix this year to spend time in Adelaide with Cromwell’s family.
“The last few days I was actually in McLaren Vale picking grapes,” he says.
It’s a long way from when Bottas first travelled to Australia as a test driver for the Williams F1 team in the early 2010s.
“It was all just Melbourne, and hotel, and racetrack, and a little bit of surroundings,” he says. “The more you learn about the country the more you respect it.”
Bottas met Cromwell at a pub in Monaco, where the couple are based. They shared mutual friends and a mutual interest in cycling and their partnership has since extended to entrepreneurial ventures.
Cromwell is in Europe competing in the spring classics but in-between her own road and gravel racing schedule, she dedicates time to designing limited-edition helmets for Bottas to wear on the F1 circuit. This season she’s committed to eight or nine, with designs typically speaking to the race destination or something personal.
Bottas brandished one of Cromwell’s designs in Melbourne last year, a fun and frivolous tribute to the nation’s bright surf, sand and colloquialisms, but this season, searching for something more meaningful, Cromwell sought out an introduction with Kildea for the task.
Valtteri Bottas of Alfa Romeo F1 and Tiffany Cromwell in the UAE last year.Credit:Getty Images
“We decided to go down the Indigenous route because I love Aboriginal art, it’s not only quite unique, but it tells such a deeper story when you learn what every little detail represents and means,” Cromwell says.
“It’s about connecting a bit deeper to Australia, to the country and history. Also, for Valtteri to have a design which he can connect to even deeper.
“We sat down with him [Kildea], and he got a bit more of an idea of our connection to Australia, Valtteri’s connection to Australia and then some of his stories in his racing career as well, like with resilience.”
Bottas considered quitting F1 before he won the 2019 Australian Grand Prix in a story of resilience, or Finnish sisu, that he’ll wear upon his return to the race at Albert Park this weekend.
“In 2018 he had a really rough year. He was almost going to quit the sport,” Cromwell says. “He took some time away and then in December or January called the team and said, ‘Nah, I’m continuing, let’s do this.’ And then first race was the Australian Grand Prix, and he went and won it.
“A lot of the things within the paintings reflects on that. There’s various elements which represent resilience, and the journey you’ve been on and the certain meeting points along the way that’s taken him to where he is now.”
Tiffany Cromwell seeks inspiration for her helmet designs from the places Valtteri Bottas competes. Credit:Thomas Maheux
Bottas enters the Australian Grand Prix after a disappointing 18th-place finish in Saudi Arabia, and eighth in the opening grand prix in Bahrain. He says the team has since discovered car faults that contributed to the result. His Alfa Romeo outfit is sixth in the constructors’ championship after two races.
Bottas’ start to the season compares favourably to Melbourne-born Oscar Piastri – the only Australian driver in Formula 1. Piastri’s McLaren team is struggling and has sacked its technical director due to a sub-par car.
“I think [Piastri] made a good step from first to second race. The first one is always nerve-racking as a rookie. But I think he’s got the talent, no doubt, and he seems like a smart young driver,” Bottas says.
Bottas wishes the Australian Grand Prix would return to its traditional slot as Formula 1’s opening race. The Albert Park extravaganza was moved to third on the calendar after COVID-19 restrictions delayed its return to the F1 fixture.
“I always loved it here when it was the first race because the first race every season is really special. There’s many question marks,” Bottas says. “Now, we’ve had a couple of races and we kind of know more or less where we should be and what the goal is. It’s still a great grand prix, but wish it would be the first one.”
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