F1 star faces calendar nightmare after qualifying for race that clashes with Singapore GP

Russell in plain clothes walking through F1 paddock with Bottas in Mercedes hat — Photo: © IMAGO

Singapore Grand Prix

F1 star faces calendar nightmare after qualifying for race that clashes with Singapore GP

The Singapore GP weekend takes place in October

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Tuesday 4 August 2026 23:15 Updated: 07:51

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Cadillac F1 star Valtteri Bottas has excelled in another sport, qualifying for the world championships, but those clash with the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix weekend.

The 2026 F1 season is around halfway done, but the second half of the season looks to be a little cramped, with the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia being slotted in to create an autumn triple header to make up for the cancelled Bahrain GP earlier this year.

That will be closely followed by two more triple headers in October/November and November/December - barring any changes being made due to the conflict in the Middle East.

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It means that F1 drivers are currently trying to make the most of their summer break, knowing that it will be the last chance they get to holiday before the end of the season.

And for Bottas, that means taking part in a hobby that has turned into yet another venture into professional sport; cycling.

Bottas is a keen cyclist and takes part in many professional races, mainly in gravel cycling championships.

Last weekend, Bottas finished fifth in his group at the UCI Gravel World Series, which now means that he has qualified for the 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships in Australia, an incredible achievement.

But he may not be able to take up his place at those championships.

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Bottas faces calendar clash

The 2026 UCI Gravel World Championships take place on Saturday October 10 and Sunday October 11, unfortunately for Bottas the same weekend as the Singapore GP.

That F1 race weekend is also a sprint weekend, meaning that there are competitive sessions from Friday - Sunday, and more opportunities for points for the Cadillac outfit who have never picked up a single championship point since joining the grid in March.

Bottas is in a similar position to Max Verstappen in that his hobbies away from the world of F1 often take place on a weekend, creating a clash in the schedule.

But at the age of 36, it's unlikely that Bottas is going to be in F1 for too much longer, and when he does decide to retire, he'll know that he'll have more opportunities to compete in cycling championships.

Bottas' partner Tiffany Cromwell is also a professional road and gravel cyclist, and has competed in the Olympics in the past.

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