Bottas lined up for Ferrari run before F1 return

Valtteri Bottas will swap the modern grind of Formula 1 for a glorious blast from the past when he climbs into a classic Ferrari at the Repco Adelaide Motorsport Festival on Sunday, March 1 – and fans are in for a treat.

The Finnish race winner, poised for a high-profile return to the F1 grid with Cadillac, will take the wheel of Ferrari’s legendary 156/85 during a special demonstration run through the streets of Adelaide.

It’s a rare opportunity to see a current-era F1 driver wrestle one of the sport’s most evocative turbo monsters – and do it on a circuit steeped in history.

A Turbo-Era Ferrari Returns to Adelaide

The Ferrari Bottas will drive is no museum piece gathering dust. The 156/85 is the very car that helped Michele Alboreto fight for the 1985 world championship, narrowly missing out on the drivers’ crown while pushing Ferrari to the brink of Constructors’ glory.

Even more special, Bottas will steer Alboreto’s original #27 chassis, reconnecting Adelaide with a defining era of Formula 1.

The city’s streets first welcomed F1 that same season, launching a decade-long run as Australia’s Grand Prix host before the event moved to Melbourne in 1996. Seeing the scarlet Ferrari roar again down under promises a powerful hit of nostalgia – with modern star power firmly in the cockpit.

Adding to the spectacle, Bottas won’t be the only one flying the Ferrari flag. Stefan Johansson, Alboreto’s teammate back in ’85, will also be in action, driving his own #28 156/85.

Off the track, Bottas will embrace his role as event ambassador, meeting fans at the Adelaide Marriott Grand Marquee and soaking up the festival atmosphere.

He’ll also sample a slice of Australian muscle earlier in the weekend, driving a Holden HQ Monaro during Saturday’s festivities.

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The Adelaide appearance comes just days before Bottas officially begins his next Formula 1 chapter, returning to the grid with the Ferrari-powered Cadillac outfit in Melbourne.

Before that, the Finn will complete his first behind-the-scenes Cadillac test at Barcelona later this month – but in Adelaide, it will be all about celebration, heritage, and the unmistakable sound of a Ferrari turbo engine echoing through history.

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