Satay hunt, cycling and go-karting: What F1 drivers are up to before Singapore Grand Prix

“I’m going to be a harsh critic here.” 

That was what Mercedes reserve driver Frederik Vesti said while digging into a “mystery meat” dish at a hawker centre in Singapore.

The Danish driver is among several F1 racers making the most of their time in Singapore ahead of the Grand Prix.

Here’s what they’ve been up to. 

Frederik Vesti’s local food hunt 

In an Instagram post on Wednesday (Oct 7), Frederik revealed that he visited Lau Pa Sat in search of local food.

Entering the hawker centre, the racer described it as “a load of mini restaurants with local food”. 

When deciding what to order, the 24-year-old considered chicken rice based on suggestions given to him but wondered if it was “a bit basic”. 

“Is it just chicken with rice?” he asked. 

Instead, Frederik went in search of chicken satay. After asking around, the hunt led him to the open-air Satay Street.

https://www.instagram.com/p/DeMwFO4AhWe/

“Can I have 20?” he ordered at one of the stalls, saying that 15 sticks are meant just for himself. 

“Maybe 15 is crazy, maybe it’s not, I don’t know,” he quipped. “I’m a hungry boy and I need my protein.” 

After placing the order, Frederik continued exploring the hawker centre. 

When asked what he wanted to try, he said he wanted steamed buns, or pau — though the dish was eventually left out of the night’s menu. 

Frederik eventually spotted another item he wanted to try — char siew — which the group dubbed a “mystery meat”. 

“I think we need to try one of those,” he said, ordering 200g. 

After finding a table, he and his companions sat down to sample the food, starting with the char siew. 

“That does look good,” he said, before taking a bite. 

This was where the “harsh critic” in Frederik came out, as he rated the Cantonese-style barbecued pork dish a seven out of 10. 

He then moved on to the chicken satay — a dish he appeared already acquainted with — and the one he had been hunting for all evening. 

Introducing the accompanying peanut sauce to the audience, he declared his love for peanuts before dipping a skewer in and taking a bite. 

“Very good, very good,” he said. 

Another dish the Danish racer tried was wonton soup — which he was initially apprehensive of. 

“I’m just a bit scared about what they’re bringing,” he explained. 

When it landed on the table, Frederik called it the “mystery dish”. 

While he said that it “looked amazing”, he refused when someone asked if he wanted to know what it was before eating it. 

“I’m going to go straight in, I’m going to be fair, no judgement,” he said, before going for a taste. 

His verdict? It tasted surprisingly familiar. 

“Actually tastes a lot like a soup that we make in Denmark,” he said, explaining that while it isn’t presented the same way, it “tastes identical”. 

Though one thing did throw him off. 

“The texture is a bit concerning,” he commented. 

Looking back on the evening, Frederik said the experience at Lau Pa Sat was a 10 out of 10. 

“It was mega nice. I really enjoyed it. Great to be in Singapore, and great experience.” 

Charles Leclerc takes on another race

Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, appeared to be keeping himself entertained with a mix of activities in Singapore.

In a Threads post on Thursday morning, the 28-year-old shared a series of photos and videos showing how he had been spending his time here.

“I made it to Singapore,” he wrote. 

Among the snapshots were Charles playing the piano in his hotel room and a game of foosball with his companions. 

And it seems the Monegasque driver also managed to get some laps in elsewhere before the Singapore Grand Prix.

He hit the go-kart track at HyperDrive in Sentosa, with his companions cheering and laughing as he drove past.

Valtteri Bottas cycles 350km to Singapore

While other drivers were already enjoying their downtime here, Cadillac driver Valtteri Bottas made getting to Singapore an adventure in itself. 

Cycling 350km from Sepang to Singapore, the Finn crossed the Causeway on Wednesday. 

AsiaOne spotted the 37-year-old riding past Woodlands Crossing at about 2.40pm, accompanied by fellow cyclists. 

Valtteri began his journey to Singapore shortly after the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang on Sunday (Oct 4), where he retired early after spinning into the gravel on a wet track. 

An Instagram story posted around 2am on Tuesday showed the racer cycling through a dirt track. 

Strava activity shared on social media showed he had labelled it “Malaysia to Singapore Day 1”. 

And it seems the cycling didn’t stop even after Valtteri’s arrival in Singapore. 

In a series of Instagram stories shared yesterday, the Finnish driver shared snippets of his day riding around Singapore, including one at 4.19pm around the Central Business District.

“419.67km commute checked,” he said in another post. 

A later upload also showed that he had received a certificate of completion recognising his journey from Sepang to Singapore presented by The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore. 

And amid all that cycling, Valtteri also found time to refuel at Michelin-starred restaurant Burnt Ends, where he posted a photo of a meal including steak and salad.

Alex Albon visits durian stand 

Williams racer Alex Albon also appeared to be immersing himself in the Singapore spirit. 

Posing in front of a durian stand, the 30-year-old donned a racing helmet inspired by the King of Fruits. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/DeL_QP4DWSL/

However, the Thai-British racer did not seem too fond of the fruit himself. 

“Keeping the visor closed this weekend,” he wrote in an Instagram post on Wednesday. 

The photos in the post showed Alex playfully pinching his nose in front of a ‘no durians’ sign, as well as one of him holding an ‘X’ pose in front of the fruits. 

The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2026 is set to take place at the Marina Bay Street Circuit from Oct 9 to Oct 11.

Its previous leg was the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang International Circuit in Malaysia, where Red Bull’s Max Verstappen emerged first.

[[nid:747137]]

carol.ong@asiaone.com