Max Verstappen claimed his first Singapore Grand Prix victory on Sunday, extending Red Bull’s recent run of strong performances with a commanding display that kept Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc at bay from the start. Verstappen, who had not previously won in Singapore, defended fiercely off the line to hold the lead into the first corner and never looked back.
The Dutch driver’s triumph came just a week after his maiden win of the season in Malaysia and followed his sprint race success on Saturday, confirming Red Bull’s return as a dominant force this year. Verstappen’s control over the race was clear as he fended off Leclerc’s early challenge and steadily increased his advantage, eventually crossing the line well ahead.
Verstappen said after the race, “I think the last few races have been really positive for us and it is just great to see and we have a lot of motivation in the team to try and deliver even more results. It is a really good group of people – I really enjoy working with them and hopefully we can have a bit more fun until the end of the year.”
Leclerc, meanwhile, finished second for Ferrari, but the day was marked by strategic confusion within the Scuderia. Despite having stronger pace on his softer tyres, Leclerc was not instructed to let his teammate Lewis Hamilton through to maximise race performance, a decision Hamilton questioned over team radio. Hamilton, who started on medium tyres but pitted early to switch to softs, then chose not to make a second stop during a virtual safety car period, a move that initially elevated him to second place.
However, Hamilton’s decision not to pit again proved costly. As his soft tyres wore down over the closing laps, he lost ground to Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli and McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, eventually finishing sixth. Hamilton admitted the final strategy call was his own and apologised after the race.
Antonelli secured third place for Mercedes, extending his lead in the drivers’ championship to 102 points over teammate George Russell, who finished ninth after starting 19th on the grid. Antonelli’s strong performance keeps the door open for him to clinch his first world title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on 25 October. To secure the championship at that race, Antonelli would need to win with Russell finishing ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower.
Asked about the possibility of winning the title in Austin, Antonelli responded, “Can I? Really? Let’s not worry about that, let’s try to do the best weekend possible and finish the job.”
The race’s opening moments were intense, with Leclerc getting a better start and challenging Verstappen into Turn One. Verstappen squeezed Leclerc toward the pit wall, forcing the Ferrari driver to back off and allowing the Red Bull driver to claim the lead. Hamilton ran close behind for the first four laps before gradually dropping back.
Ferrari’s strategy choices raised questions throughout the race. Leclerc pitted on lap 24 to switch from soft to medium tyres, while Hamilton had already switched to softs on lap 18. When a virtual safety car was deployed on lap 39, both Leclerc and Antonelli pitted for fresh tyres, but Hamilton stayed out, briefly inheriting second place. His tyres’ decline soon saw him overtaken by Norris, Antonelli, and Piastri.
Russell’s race was a recovery mission after his low starting position. He delayed his pit stop to climb as high as seventh but later fell behind Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg and Alpine’s Pierre Gasly. Although Russell managed to pass Gasly, he could not find a way past Hulkenberg, who himself was chasing Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson.
The top ten at the finish were Verstappen, Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Russell, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar, who scored the final point after starting from the back.
The Singapore Grand Prix results consolidate Red Bull’s resurgence and leave the championship battle poised ahead of the US Grand Prix, with Antonelli on the cusp of securing the title.
According to Yahoo Sports.