Inside Valtteri Bottas’ wild three weeks after being dumped by F1 team from back garden Ironman to mad side quests

VALTTERI BOTTAS has not blown his motor retired implicit the quality helium would not beryllium racing successful Formula One adjacent season.

It was announced days aft the Brazil Grand Prix that the Finn would not clasp his spot with Sauber for 2025, with it instead going to 20-year-old F2 prima Gabriel Bortoleto.

And days aft the news, Bottas shared a video of him doing a staggering Ironman triathlon challenge successful his ain backmost garden.

However, it proved to beryllium the extremity of the iceberg for the 35-year-old arsenic it gave mode to a huffy three-week interruption involving immoderate brainsick broadside quests.

Bottas documented his interruption connected his Instagram leafage with a suitably titled bid called "What's next?"

Following the Ironman challenge, Bottas was seen grimacing successful symptom portion getting a tattoo connected his near thigh of the substance "What's next?"

After getting his tattoo, Bottas was seen successful a video sharing a java with Tour de France victor Sir Mark Cavendish arsenic some asked 1 different "What's next?"

The adjacent video successful the bid saw Bottas kitted retired successful cycling cogwheel arsenic helium went "gravel riding successful the chaotic west", accompanied by Valkirias de Cine's Wild West opus successful the background.

This was followed by a stunning power to a sandy formation mounting wherever Bottas past revealed helium would beryllium playing eventual frisbee with Australia's nationalist team.

The video showed Bottas successful enactment jumping and diving astir arsenic helium tried to drawback the frisbee.

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Up adjacent was a much low-key lawsuit by the erstwhile Mercedes driver's standards, arsenic helium was seen successful a cowboy chapeau drinking a brew earlier saying helium was participating successful a Sunday nighttime excavation tournament.

Another 180-degree twist to the bid saw Bottas present wearing a heavy overgarment arsenic helium got acceptable to spell hiking.

While connected the hike, Bottas came crossed a batch of carnivore poo, earlier helium ended the video by bursting into a run.

The latest video successful the bid saw Bottas backmost successful cycling gear.

But alternatively than acold weather oregon gravel riding, Bottas was present cycling successful Death Valley.

Found successful eastbound California successful the Mojave Desert, it is thought to beryllium the hottest spot successful the satellite successful the summertime with the grounds somesthesia reaching a scorching 57°C.

Bottas has since arrived successful the Las Vegas F1 paddock with his tattoo connected amusement for each to see.

He has besides been seen wearing a cyan-coloured apical with achromatic substance connected it speechmaking "What's next?"

In presumption of what's adjacent for his motorsport career, reports suggest Bottas is being considered arsenic a Mercedes reserve operator for adjacent season.

Speaking astir his F1 exit, Bottas said: "Life goes on. There’s tons of breathtaking things ahead. And yeah, I’m good with it.

“It’s a tricky sport. You know, I deliberation I got into a spot of an unlucky situation, successful presumption of hanging connected to the past spot connected the grid. And erstwhile that doesn’t happen, past evidently you’re retired for now.

“The person we’re getting to that date, I did decidedly fig retired that determination was different drivers arsenic candidates arsenic well. And of course, you commencement to perceive rumours.

"So past successful the end, I inactive thought it’s possibly 50-50 chance. And yeah, I got the telephone connected the Monday. But yeah, astatine slightest I cognize now. I conscionable request to fig retired what’s next...

"The mode my progressive F1 driving vocation ended for now, it wasn’t the champion mode that you can’t truly determine yourself.

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“I consciousness similar inactive I person tons to springiness for the athletics and I inactive emotion it. I emotion the racing against the champion drivers successful the world, successful the champion cars successful the world. That’s what I love.

“So I’m conscionable trying to fig retired present what is the adjacent move. So yeah, I don’t truly person that overmuch more. I’m taking it time by day. There’s immoderate absorbing worldly connected the array and past we’ll see.”

However, helium did not look overly keen connected the thought of switching to different motorsport, but said helium was ever up for a caller challenge, similar what helium did with the Ironman challenge.

He added: "For me, astatine the moment, I consciousness similar jumping into a caller class comes rather quick.

"You know, we’re astir successful December. So yeah, I deliberation that would beryllium much realistic that if I didn’t find a spot successful F1 during ‘25 oregon for ‘26, past astir apt would beryllium from ‘26.

“But it’s each these things that I request to benignant of effort and plan. But the representation is starting to signifier successful my caput what is the perfect situation. I’ve raced each my life, you know, since I was six, five, six years aged and I inactive emotion it.

"So I’ll beryllium ever driving something. I conscionable sometimes similar to situation myself. I conscionable decided connected the evening earlier that time I privation to beryllium an Ironman.

"And I conscionable did it successful a tiny excavation and indoor motorcycle and treadmill. I’d really ne'er done a marathon before, truthful present that’s done arsenic well. So, yeah, things sometimes conscionable happen."