Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday, his second victory in as many races. It was the four-time world champion’s first win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit and came in his 250th grand prix. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli finished third and now needs only a small step to clinch the title.
The Red Bull driver also took the Sprint race, completing an almost perfect weekend. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, giving the Italian team a podium on a night when their other car lost ground. Antonelli’s third place was his 14th podium of the season and stretched his lead over team-mate George Russell to 102 points. He can wrap up the championship at the next round in Austin.
Verstappen said the result had been a long time coming. “It’s taken a while but I think this race was very good,” he said, adding that the team were motivated to deliver more results. Even so, he complained during the weekend about how hard it is to overtake on the Singapore street layout, a familiar criticism of a circuit where track position counts for a great deal. Starting from pole allowed him to control the race from the front, and he was never seriously threatened by the cars behind.
The race turned against Lewis Hamilton. The Ferrari driver started third but faded to sixth after struggling with his tyres, and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri both passed him in the closing laps. Antonelli took advantage of their fight to move past Norris and Hamilton into a podium place. Over the team radio, Hamilton took responsibility for the strategy decision. “Sorry, boys. I let you down today with that strategy,” he said.
For Gulf fans, attention now turns to the rest of the calendar and to longer-term changes in the region. Formula One confirmed in September that the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix at Yas Marina Circuit will stage a Sprint race for the first time from 2027, and that Bahrain will host the opening round of that season. The Sprint format that Verstappen won in Singapore will therefore become part of the Yas Marina weekend, adding a second competitive race for fans at the circuit. Antonelli’s first chance to seal the 2026 championship comes in Austin, at the next round.
