Bottas becomes Adelaide event ambassador

Valtteri Bottas has strengthened his ties to Australia by becoming an official ambassador for the Adelaide Motorsport Festival.

The Alfa Romeo F1 star was the headline act at the revived festival this year, driving a Bathurst 1000-winning Holden Supercar on the shortened version of the famous Adelaide street circuit.

He has now been named as part of the new Ambassadors' Club for the event along with the likes of ex-Ferrari F1 driver Stefan Johansson, Supercars legend Craig Lowndes, current Supercars drivers Todd Hazelwood, Tim Slade and Thomas Randle, Aussie racing legends Vern Schuppan and David Brabham, Kiwis Hayden Paddon, and Andy Higgins, and Supercars team owner Peter Xiberras.

“The event has received such a tremendous amount of positive feedback from everyone, but most importantly from those who are at the top of their game," said AMF event director Tim Possingham.

"The general feeling amongst this cohort is that they want to support and grow the event; they want to act as ambassadors for the event as we move forward. So we have formalised this group and we plan to grow it over the years.”

Bottas has personal ties to Australia, and South Australia in particular, through his partner and renowned cyclist Tiffany Cromwell.

The Finn kickstarted his Aussie persona while holidaying down under during the off-season, a promotional video of him getting a mullet haircut going viral.

He has since retained the mullet and moustache and was highly-active in the lead-up to the Australian Grand Prix, not just with his Adelaide appearance, but launching Aussie-flavoured gin and coffee collaborations as well.

The AMF will once again be held on the weekend before the Australian Grand Prix next year.