Singapore Grand Prix 2026: Verstappen dominates under the lights of Marina Bay
The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix turned out to be a particularly strong weekend for Max Verstappen. After his victory a week earlier in Malaysia, the Dutchman continued his good form at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Verstappen first won the chaotic Sprint, then took pole position and controlled the Grand Prix from start to finish. With this, he finally achieved his first victory in Singapore, during his 250th Grand Prix start. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, while Kimi Antonelli once again collected important points for the championship with P3.
Sprint: rain, crashes and victory for Verstappen
The race weekend started spectacularly.
Verstappen took pole position for the Sprint, but shortly before the start, a heavy rain shower passed over Marina Bay. The race eventually started on intermediates.
George Russell had an excellent start and overtook Verstappen immediately, but his lead lasted less than a lap. Exiting the final corner, the Mercedes driver lost control and crashed hard into the wall.
Verstappen regained the lead and never let go of it again.
Behind him, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc benefited for Ferrari, while the McLaren drivers collided in the closing stages. Norris and Piastri both spun, allowing Antonelli to move up to P4.
The top three of the Sprint:
- P1: Max Verstappen
- P2: Lewis Hamilton
- P3: Charles Leclerc
For Russell, the retirement was extra painful in the fight for the championship.
Qualifying: Verstappen beats Ferrari
Later on Saturday, Verstappen once again showed that Red Bull could excel on the street circuit.
Lewis Hamilton seemed the favorite for pole position for a long time after being fastest in both Q1 and Q2. However, in Q3, it was Verstappen who struck at exactly the right moment.
With a 1:31.373, he took pole position, just 0.054 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Hamilton made a strong qualifying for Ferrari with P3, while Antonelli was allowed to start from P4.
What stood out beforehand:
- Verstappen took his first pole in Singapore
- Ferrari was on P2 and P3 with Leclerc and Hamilton
- Antonelli started from the second row
- Russell had to start from P19 due to a grid penalty
- Red Bull looked particularly strong again after Malaysia
The race: Verstappen leaves Leclerc no chance
At the start, Leclerc had a good start, but Verstappen defended strongly towards the first corner and maintained the lead.
That proved important.
Leclerc was still able to stay reasonably close in the early laps, but Verstappen slowly began to build a gap. Behind them, Hamilton and Antonelli were driving, while Norris and Piastri were once again close together.
Verstappen quickly had the race under control.
The opening phase in short:
- Verstappen maintained the lead
- Leclerc initially remained within reach
- Hamilton and Antonelli fought for the podium
- Norris put pressure on Antonelli
- Russell started a recovery race from the back row
On a circuit where overtaking is traditionally difficult, strategy therefore became increasingly important.
Ferrari chooses different strategies
Lewis Hamilton was the first of the leaders to come in. Ferrari gave him soft tires again and thus chose an aggressive strategy.
Leclerc stayed out longer and later switched to mediums. Antonelli followed a similar strategy.
At the front, Verstappen had nothing to worry about. His pit stop went smoothly, and even after the tire changes, he remained comfortably in the lead.
Meanwhile, a difficult situation arose at Ferrari. Hamilton was behind Leclerc on his softer tires and looked faster, but lost several laps to his teammate. Ultimately, his tires could not maintain the pace for long enough.
Antonelli grabs the podium
In the closing stages, the fight for P3 began to become more interesting.
Hamilton had more and more trouble with his tires, while Norris and Antonelli came closer.
Norris tried to overtake Hamilton, but Antonelli profited from the fight. The Mercedes driver managed to pass Norris and shortly after also passed Hamilton. With this, he moved up to third place.
Norris then also passed the Ferrari and finished fourth.
For Antonelli, P3 was once again an important result, especially because his main title rival George Russell did not get further than ninth place from P19.
Verstappen finally wins in Singapore
Meanwhile, at the front, there was no longer any doubt about the winner.
Verstappen drove controlled towards the finish and crossed the line first after 62 laps.
Leclerc followed at 7.335 seconds, while Antonelli completed the podium over 24 seconds behind the winner.
The top five:
- P1: Max Verstappen – Red Bull
- P2: Charles Leclerc – Ferrari
- P3: Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes
- P4: Lando Norris – McLaren
- P5: Oscar Piastri – McLaren
For Verstappen, it was a special victory. Singapore was one of the few circuits on the calendar where he had never won a Grand Prix. On his tenth attempt, he finally succeeded.
What does this mean for the 2026 season?
For Antonelli, Singapore was once again excellent for the championship.
After the Sprint, he had already further increased his lead over Russell. With P3 in the Grand Prix versus P9 for Russell, the difference eventually grew to no less than 102 points.
With this, Antonelli can even get his first theoretical chance to secure the world championship during the next Grand Prix in Austin.
Main insights:
- Verstappen wins for the second Grand Prix in a row
- Red Bull seems to be definitively back after a difficult start to the season
- Antonelli increases his championship lead to 102 points
- Russell loses a lot of ground again
- Ferrari takes a strong podium result with Leclerc
Especially the revival of Red Bull stands out. After Malaysia and Singapore, Verstappen has now won two races in a row.
Why Singapore remains so special
The Singapore Grand Prix remains one of the most recognizable races on the calendar.
The race is driven entirely under artificial light through the streets of Marina Bay, while the high temperatures and humidity make it one of the physically toughest races of the year.
Moreover, the walls are constantly close and mistakes are punished almost immediately. This was shown again during the Sprint with several crashes and incidents.
That is precisely why it is striking how controlled Verstappen managed to drive the Grand Prix.
Conclusion: a perfect weekend for Verstappen
The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix ultimately became Max Verstappen's weekend.
Sprint pole, Sprint victory, pole position for the Grand Prix and the victory on Sunday.
After his victory in Malaysia, Verstappen thus confirmed that Red Bull is seriously back in the fight at the front. Moreover, he could finally add Singapore to his list of won Grands Prix.
Charles Leclerc achieved a strong second place for Ferrari, while Antonelli once again took a big step towards the world title with P3.
For Verstappen, it may not have been another victory in the fight for the championship.
But after 250 Grand Prix starts and ten attempts, he could finally say:
Singapore is off the list.
