The preparations of Charles Leclerc for the Singapore Grand Prix were disrupted by an unforeseen issue with his private jet, which had to return to Malaysia, forcing the Ferrari driver to travel by road.
The distance between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore is about 185 miles, and it is usually covered in less than an hour by plane. However, Leclerc’s aircraft had to turn back before landing in Singapore. The Monegasque driver traveled the rest of the route by car, with a journey that took approximately four hours.
According to reports from Italian media, the jet lost its landing slot at Seletar Airport due to a delay. Other sources point out that the plane did not obtain permission to land. So far, neither Ferrari nor Leclerc have provided an official explanation regarding the incident.
In a conversation with beIN, Leclerc commented: “I lost the slot by just five minutes, so I had to land somewhere in Malaysia and find a car to get here. But in the end, I made it, and I’m happy to be here… just a bit later than planned.”
In contrast to Leclerc, his racing teammate Max Verstappen landed on time in his private jet. “Lucky him, lucky him,” Leclerc laughed while commenting on the situation.
Not only did Leclerc make the trip without a plane, but Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas opted to travel by bicycle from Sepang to Singapore, announcing it on social media: “I’m pedaling to Singapore. On lightly trafficked gravel roads with my new Canyon Grail CFR. See you there.”
Once he arrived in Singapore, Leclerc showcased his skills in a rain-affected sprint race, where he finished third. In the Grand Prix, he started from the second position and maintained that spot until the end, crossing the finish line 7.335 seconds behind Verstappen, who achieved victory from pole position. Kimi Antonelli from Mercedes completed the podium.
Leclerc acknowledged that his strategy was different from Verstappen’s during the race: “We were quite competitive at the beginning, but we started to degrade a little more during the first stint. We need to introduce more upgrades to the car if we want to be at the top of the standings.”
This result gives Leclerc 18 points, while for Verstappen, it marks his first victory at the Singapore Grand Prix and his second consecutive win after Sepang.
With the competition moving towards Austin, Leclerc hopes the next trip will be more conventional.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_9b2a5447baa1b649242a2ec1fa220ef22a3ead38