Charles Leclerc’s journey from Sepang to Singapore did not go according to plan, with the Ferrari driver reportedly forced to complete the trip by road after his flight was unable to land in the city-state and returned to Kuala Lumpur.
The unusual travel disruption came as Charles Leclerc headed towards Singapore, where the 17th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season will take place next weekend. The Monegasque had only just completed an eventful Bahrain Grand Prix weekend in Malaysia before his journey to the next race encountered another complication.
Charles Leclerc’s flight to Singapore returns to Kuala Lumpur
Long-time paddock photographer and reporter Kym Illman revealed the details of the incident. According to the Australian, Charles Leclerc was due to fly to Singapore on the evening after the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, but the aircraft was unable to land in the city-state during its assigned slot.
The flight was therefore forced to turn back and return to Kuala Lumpur, leaving the Ferrari driver needing an alternative way to reach his destination.
Rather than attempting another flight, Plan B involved completing the transfer to Singapore by road. The journey was expected to take around four hours. Kym Illman also reported that another Formula 1 driver encountered the same problem and chose the same solution, although that driver was not identified.
The complete timetable for the next event is available in our 2026 Singapore Grand Prix schedule.
Another eventful weekend for Charles Leclerc after Sepang recovery
The travel disruption followed an already complicated few days for Charles Leclerc. At Sepang, the Monegasque dropped towards the back of the field during the opening stages of the race following Ferrari’s initial decision to start on slick tyres.
His situation became even more difficult after contact with Nico Hülkenberg and the resulting puncture. Despite those setbacks, Charles Leclerc managed to recover through the field and eventually finish fourth.
The Singapore journey therefore extended what had already been a demanding weekend, although this was not the first recent occasion on which the Ferrari driver had experienced unusual air-travel problems.
Charles Leclerc faced similar travel problems after Baku in 2025
In September 2025, following the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, bad weather prevented the private aircraft carrying Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz from reaching the French Riviera.
The pair instead ended up in Italy and rented a van to complete the remaining journey to Monaco by road. The circumstances were different, but the outcome was similar: an unexpected flight problem followed by a much slower final leg on the road.
This time, the destination is Singapore. After covering more than 300 kilometres on track at Sepang on Sunday, Charles Leclerc’s journey towards the next Grand Prix continued at a considerably slower pace on Malaysian roads.
Singapore forms the next stop on the 2026 Formula 1 calendar, with Charles Leclerc now heading towards another race weekend after an eventful departure from Malaysia.
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