For those new to Formula 1, it would be very easy to assume Valtteri Bottas is Australian.
The Stake F1 Team driver ticks plenty of boxes, including his mullet, fashion style and relaxed attitude.
So, how does a man from the Päijät-Häme region of Finland become an honorary Aussie?
His partner – Australian cyclist Tiffany Cromwell – has likely been a major influence.
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Who is Tiffany Cromwell? Meet the Australian pro cyclist and partner of Valtteri Bottas
Cromwell is an experienced road cyclist, who currently competes for Canyon–SRAM in events including the UCI Women’s World Tour.
The 35-year-old was born in Stirling, South Australia and initially sought a basketball career.
However, at 166 cm tall, the South Australian Sports Institute instead set her on the cycling path following a talent identification program.
After picking up podiums at the junior Oceania games and winning the 2008 Sea Otter Classic in California, Cromwell joined her first professional team in 2010 – the European-based Lotto Ladies Team.
After a short stint at Hitec Products UCK the following year, she moved to GreenEDGE–AIS, where she scored some major results.
Cromwell took out Stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia Internazionale Femminile in 2012 and won her first one-day event at the Omloop Het Nieuwsblad in 2013.
She was on the move again a year later, signing with Specialized–lululemon, picking up multiple stage podiums at that year’s Tour Cycliste Féminin International de l’Ardèche.
In 2016, she moved to her current team – Canyon–SRAM.
More success came for Cromwell at the Giro that year, winning the second stage of her career.
Her other major achievements include representing Australia in several World Road Championships, competing at the 2014 and 2018 Commonwealth Games and featuring in the 2020 Olympic Games.
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As a veteran of the international cycling tour, Cromwell typically rides in a support role nowadays, where she is the dedicated ‘road captain’ for her team.
Outside of cycling, the South Australian has a passion and talent for design.
She has notably been involved in the design process for some of Bottas’ helmets.
How did Valtteri Bottas and Tiffany Cromwell meet?
According to The Age, Bottas and Cromwell met at a pub in Monaco.
In particular, they bonded over a shared interest in cycling.
They still regularly post content online of themselves on rides around Europe and Australia.
Valtteri Bottas nationality: How F1 driver from Finland has become the “third Aussie” on the grid
Bottas was born in Nastola, in the Päijät-Häme region of Finland.
His F1 debut came in Melbourne when he competed for Williams in the 2013 Australian Grand Prix.
Albert Park is an annual stop on the F1 calendar, but Bottas has continued to explore the country in his free time, often with his partner.
“The more I’ve seen, the more I’ve fallen in love with the country and the lifestyle,” Bottas told The Age.
“Just the scenery and the people and everything was so nice.”
Bottas has sported a mullet in recent years – an infamous haircut in Australia.
He established himself as a fan-favourite in Melbourne in 2023 when he showed up to the track in a stereotypically Aussie outfit consisting of a singlet, shorts and thongs.
Last year, his ‘VB’ initials saw him involved in a commercial campaign with the iconic Australian beer brand.
Most recently, he shot an advertisement with Uber, where he shows off his “second car” designed for life Down Under.
This has resulted in him earning the unofficial title of the “third Aussie” on the F1 grid, joining Australian-born drivers Daniel Ricciardo and Oscar Piastri.
Where does Valtteri Bottas live?
Bottas currently resides in Monaco, according to LWOS.
Many other F1 drivers are based in the microstate, including Max Verstappen and Lando Norris.
