Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix by 7.335 seconds from Charles Leclerc, claiming his first victory at Marina Bay and a second in a row. Kimi Antonelli took third as a Ferrari strategy split and a late virtual safety car left Lewis Hamilton sixth.
Singapore: Max Verstappen had collected podiums at Marina Bay without ever winning the race. On Sunday night the Red Bull driver ended that wait, taking the chequered flag after 62 laps in 1:42:00.785 under the lights of the street circuit.
Verstappen covers the first-lap threat
Starting from pole, Verstappen had Leclerc alongside him as the race began. The Ferrari driver went for the lead into Turn 1 on lap one, and Verstappen covered the move to keep the lead through the opening corners. He crossed the line 7.335 seconds clear of Leclerc. Antonelli completed the podium for Mercedes, 24.573 seconds back.
The result stretches a run that began at Sepang, where Verstappen took his first victory of 2026. Two wins in successive races have lifted his season, though he still sits fourth in the standings, 119 points behind Antonelli.
Ferrari’s split strategy comes apart
Ferrari chose different strategies for its two cars. Hamilton did not stop when Leclerc did, and the plan unravelled when a late virtual safety car disrupted the pit-stop picture. Hamilton dropped behind several rivals and finished sixth, 53.188 seconds behind the winner, while Leclerc held second.
Lando Norris tried to get past Hamilton, including a move at Turn 1, without success. Antonelli then went by the McLaren, and Norris’s pace faded. He finished fourth, 40.506 seconds off the lead, with team-mate Oscar Piastri fifth.
Points for the midfield, pain at the back
Liam Lawson was seventh for Racing Bulls. He started on soft tyres, passed Pierre Gasly and held Nico Hulkenberg’s Audi at bay in the second stint. Hulkenberg took eighth, while Isack Hadjar collected the final point in tenth for Red Bull.
George Russell, who started at the back of the grid after an engine penalty, fought up to ninth. The virtual safety car arrived just as he committed to a pit stop. Gasly finished 11th, one lap down.
Three drivers did not finish the Grand Prix: Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto. Alexander Albon stopped after 59 laps. One Audi caught fire in the pit lane while being recovered.
What it means for the table
Antonelli leads the drivers’ championship on 340 points, ahead of Russell on 238, Hamilton on 229, Verstappen on 221 and Leclerc on 215. The next race is the United States Grand Prix in Austin.
Singapore Grand Prix result: 1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) 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) +1:21.666; 8. Nico Hulkenberg (Audi) +1:23.386; 9. George Russell (Mercedes) +1:24.677; 10. Isack Hadjar (Red Bull) +1:30.862.
