Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix 2026

Verstappen Completes a Singapore Sweep as Ferrari Strategy Costs Hamilton

Max Verstappen led every lap of the Singapore Grand Prix to claim his first victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on his 250th Formula 1 start, completing a dominant sprint weekend for Red Bull Racing. Charles Leclerc finished second after a late charge on fresher tyres, Kimi Antonelli took third for Mercedes to strengthen his championship grip, and Lewis Hamilton slipped to sixth for Ferrari after a one-stop gamble on worn soft rubber backfired in the closing stages.

Turn 1 Sets the Tone

Verstappen arrived on pole with momentum from Sepang and Saturday's sprint win, but Charles Leclerc made the stronger launch when the lights went out. The Ferrari driver drew alongside into Turn 1 and looked capable of snatching the lead on a circuit where overtaking is painfully scarce.

Verstappen held his line toward the pit wall, forcing Leclerc to yield before the corner apex. The Red Bull driver emerged in control with Leclerc second and Lewis Hamilton third, the three title contenders from three different teams already defining the shape of the afternoon within the opening hundred metres.

Hamilton had started on the medium compound while the two cars ahead used softs. For a handful of laps he stayed within reach, but from Lap 5 the seven-time world champion began to drift back as Verstappen and Leclerc found their rhythm in the humid night air.

Verstappen in Command

Once Verstappen had the lead, the race developed into a test of tyre management under Singapore's punishing conditions rather than outright pace. Leclerc remained within a second for the first phase, but the Red Bull gradually edged clear as the stint wore on.

Verstappen pitted from the lead on a conventional timeline while Ferrari and Mercedes traded stops around him. Kimi Antonelli, starting fourth, stayed close to the fight at the front without ever quite finding a way past the Ferraris in the early stint.

At the front, Verstappen's metronomic pace never dipped. Even when Leclerc trimmed the deficit after the Virtual Safety Car, the Dutchman always had enough in hand to absorb the pressure.

Virtual Safety Car and Ferrari's Gamble

The race pivoted on Lap 39 when Franco Colapinto retired his Alpine and race control activated the Virtual Safety Car. Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli used the cheap pit window to switch to fresher tyres, a move that would define the fight for second and third.

Lewis Hamilton, briefly promoted to second when rivals pitted, was asked to stop again but argued from the cockpit that he could try to reach the chequered flag on his ageing soft set. Ferrari eventually relented. The decision kept Hamilton on track in second place for a few laps, but it also committed him to a strategy that left too much work to do on rubber that was past its best.

Leclerc rejoined, passed Hamilton on Lap 46, and set off after Verstappen. He closed the gap over the final stint and trimmed Verstappen's advantage, yet still finished 7.335 seconds behind a Red Bull that had been flawless all weekend.

Hamilton's tyres wilted in the last eight laps. Lando Norris attacked at Turn 1 on Lap 54, forcing Hamilton wide through the escape road; Kimi Antonelli seized the moment to pass both McLaren and Ferrari in one decisive sequence. Norris followed Antonelli through, and Oscar Piastri demoted Hamilton on the final lap after a stubborn defence.

Russell and Hadjar Charge from the Back

George Russell's weekend had unraveled before the race began. Sixth in qualifying became a start from the back row once grid penalties were applied, leaving the Mercedes driver with only recovery mode on Sunday.

Russell drove with patience early, then picked off rivals as the field spread out under Singapore's stop-start rhythm. He could not quite break through to Nico Hülkenberg's Audi in the closing laps and had to settle for ninth, but the result still limited some of the damage on a day when Antonelli banked another podium.

Liam Lawson finished seventh for Racing Bulls after a measured race from the midfield, while Isack Hadjar claimed the final point in tenth for Red Bull Racing after starting at the rear of the grid. Their results underlined how much ground can be made up when Marina Bay punishes mistakes elsewhere.

Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll and Colapinto joined the list of non-finishers, while the front of the field remained largely untouched by Safety Car drama.

Top 10 Finishers

1. Max Verstappen - Red Bull Racing - 1:42:00.785
2. Charles Leclerc - Ferrari - +7.335s
3. Kimi Antonelli - Mercedes - +24.573s
4. Lando Norris - McLaren - +40.506s
5. Oscar Piastri - McLaren - +49.644s
6. Lewis Hamilton - Ferrari - +53.188s
7. Liam Lawson - Racing Bulls - +81.666s
8. Nico Hülkenberg - Audi - +83.386s
9. George Russell - Mercedes - +84.677s
10. Isack Hadjar - Red Bull Racing - +90.862s

Race Takeaway

Verstappen's Singapore sweep - sprint pole, sprint victory, grand prix pole and race win - is the clearest statement yet that Red Bull Racing has joined the 2026 title fight after a difficult first half of the season. A second dominant win within a week, following Sepang, gives the team belief heading into the final six rounds.

For Antonelli, third place is the outcome that preserves Mercedes' championship advantage. With George Russell only ninth after his penalty-hit weekend, the gap at the top of the Drivers' Championship now stands beyond a hundred points with a maximum of 150 still available, meaning the title could theoretically be settled as early as the United States Grand Prix at Austin.

Hamilton will leave Marina Bay frustrated. Ferrari had pace for a podium fight, but the call to keep him out on worn softs surrendered positions to Antonelli and both McLarens. Leclerc's second place, by contrast, keeps Ferrari in the hunt for both championships even if the strategic picture on the pit wall remains uneven.

Circuit

• Circuit: Marina Bay Street Circuit
• Location: Singapore
• Length: 4.940 km
• Laps: 62
• Race distance: 305.337 km
• Lap record: 1:35.540 - Max Verstappen (2023)
• Fastest lap (race): 1:35.202 - Charles Leclerc (Lap 41)

Race Weekend

• Dates: 9-11 October 2026
• Sprint pole: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) - 1:31.156
• Sprint winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
• Pole position: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) - 1:31.373
• Grand Prix winner: Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing)
• Podium: Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli