F1 star dressed as Simpsons character wins Colorado bike race

Twice Finland’s Valtteri Bottas was the world’s second-best race car driver, finishing behind teammate and owner of the Denver Broncos Sir Lewis Hamilton.

Just like how the legendary Hamilton has Colorado ties, so too does his good friend Bottas. The former Mercedes driver that teamed with Hamilton from 2017 until 2022 also spends a lot of time in the Colorado mountains. And this week, Bottas roamed from Aspen where he appeared to be staying over Formula 1’s summer break, to Steamboat Springs for the SBT GRVL.

The annual world-class gravel bike race featured Bottas and some of the globe’s best cyclists. And the 10-time F1 race winner is no stranger to the world of two wheels. Aside from a relationship with pro women’s cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, Bottas placed best in his class for a 65-mile version of the race last year and got onto the podium for a 64-mile edition in 2021.

This year Bottas went for the 100-mile ride, placing eighth among folks his age with a time of just under five-and-a-half hours. But he won the all important costume competition for his efforts in the SBT GRVL hill climb.

Sponsored by Denver Beer Company, the Alfa Romeo driver Dressed as Duffman from The Simpsons.

Valtteri Bottas: international treasure.

While F1 takes a break, Valtteri conquers a 140-mile gravel hill climb in Colorado dressed as Duffman.

He wins his team's weight in beer and donates it to all the spectators and competitors. Cheers to that! 🍻 pic.twitter.com/1ialxMXB3v

— Vincenzo Landino (@vincenzolandino) August 21, 2023

Formula 1 is back this weekend after their summer break with the Dutch Grand Prix. Bottas is 15th in the driver’s standings and has struggled since leaving Mercedes, meanwhile Hamilton is likely to be the top non-Red Bull Driver by the weekend’s end. And if you’re asking, how close are these two aside from just being teammates? Bottas took an artful nude in nature and gifted it to Hamilton last year. You have to wonder if it’s hanging at Hamilton’s Colorado place and the two may meet up to enjoy a few warm drinks there over the winter offseason.

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