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F1 star celebrates first podium finish of 2026
Valtteri Bottas recently celebrated his first podium finish of the year, not in a racing car, but on two wheels in a gravel cycling race in Australia.
Participating in Australia’s premier gravel cycling event, RADL GRVL, Bottas finished second in the men’s category on the 64km ‘Red Course,’ being beaten by three teenagers. He also has a stake in the event.
Despite finishing as the second fastest adult rider, Bottas was overtaken by younger competitors, placing him in second in his age category.
Next week, Bottas is expected to join F1 teams in Barcelona for behind-closed-doors shakedown testing, while Williams will be the only team absent. In other news, Ferrari has launched their new 2026 car, and McLaren will miss the upcoming testing session.






