F1 star Valtteri Bottas is a proper Aussie now: New home, meat pies and doing a 'U-ey'

Valtteri Bottas grinning in the Bahrain paddock during 2026 testing — Photo: © IMAGO

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F1 star Valtteri Bottas is a proper Aussie now: New home, meat pies and doing a 'U-ey'

The Cadillac is making a new life and home in Australia

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 7 March 2026 20:58

What unites nudity and Australia? F1 star Valtteri Bottas, who recently revealed just how much he's embraced the local culture Down Under.

Bottas is back for the 2026 season, moustache and bleach intact as he brings is affable vibes to a team that are going to need all the positivity they can get - Cadillac.

The newest team on the F1 grid have started their operations from scratch, so expect to see Bottas fighting at the bottom of the timesheets in 2026.

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This hasn't dampened the Finn's spirits however, who arrived to Melbourne with the news his five-place grid penalty for the Australian GP had been dropped, cutting altogether a rather happy figure in the paddock.

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Does Valtteri Bottas live in Australia?

Bottas has embraced the Aussie spirit, thanks in part to his partner and Australian road and gravel cyclist Tiffany Cromwell, recently clarifying his relationship to the country.

Speaking in Thursday's press conference, Bottas was asked about living in Australia, to which he replied suddenly: "Just to correct first, I don’t live in Australia. Maybe one day, who knows. I still live in Monaco, so nothing has changed on that.

"But with my partner, we got a place, end of November, in South Australia in McLaren Vale, which is great to have a place where we can stay. She’s Australian, so when we’re around this part of the world, we’ve got a place. So, it’s been amazing.

"I really love the lifestyle in Australia: the weather, the food, you name it. I think I picked up some habits. I do love a meat pie, you know, it’s pretty good. If I do a U-turn, I always do a “U-ey” instead of, you know, things like that. So simple things."

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F1 Australian Grand Prix Cadillac Valtteri Bottas