F1 Singapore GP: Max Verstappen excels for Marina Bay repeat
Max Verstappen secured his first victory at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli.
Verstappen faced an initial challenge from Leclerc but demonstrated superior pace for the rest of the race.
A strategic misstep cost Lewis Hamilton significantly, allowing Antonelli to take a podium spot and further solidify his championship lead, putting him in a position to potentially clinch the title in Austin. Meanwhile, Hamilton's teammate George Russell battled from 19th on the grid to finish a disappointing ninth.
Verstappen fends off Leclerc at the start
Charles Leclerc, starting from the front row, had an excellent launch at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but polesitter Verstappen narrowly defended his position in Turn 1. Hamilton maintained third place despite opting for the medium tire compound, while Antonelli, Lando Norris, and Oscar Piastri followed suit, keeping the top six from the grid unchanged.
Leclerc stayed close to Verstappen until Gabriel Bortoleto's car halted on the start/finish straight due to a suspected gearbox failure, prompting a virtual safety car, yet no drivers opted to pit given the obstacles at the pit exit.
By lap 11, Hamilton had fallen three seconds behind Leclerc, followed closely by Antonelli and the McLarens; however, Leclerc began to consistently lag half a second behind Verstappen. By lap 18, he was four seconds adrift.
It was then that Hamilton, despite starting on mediums, became the first to make a pit stop, switching to softs; he had clocked a lap 1.8 seconds slower than Verstappen and 1.4 seconds slower than Leclerc on the previous lap.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Antonelli was the first frontrunner to switch from softs to mediums on lap 23; Leclerc followed suit the next lap and just managed to rejoin ahead of his teammate, who expressed dissatisfaction over being held up, voicing his frustration multiple times over the radio.
“I feel something leaking between my feet,” Antonelli reported on lap 32 – but Mercedes showed little concern, as Verstappen pitted and safely returned to the track in the lead.
By lap 35, the Red Bull driver had a five-second lead over Leclerc; Hamilton trailed by seven seconds, with Antonelli 11 seconds behind, while the McLarens of Norris and Piastri were 21 and 28 seconds adrift respectively, following a 4.2-second pit stop for Piastri.
Hamilton skips pit stop during VSC
The race was neutralized by a virtual safety car on lap 39 when Lance Stroll pulled off with a suspected clutch problem; Leclerc and Antonelli seized the opportunity to switch back to softs, while Hamilton made the unusual choice to remain on worn softs.
“Mate, I have no f***ing brakes! I just went straight! The pedal was so long!” an upset Antonelli exclaimed, as Piastri made another pit stop on lap 41 due to a slow puncture.
Leclerc rejoined from his second pit stop 10 seconds behind Hamilton, swiftly catching his teammate in just five laps and overtaking him. He was still 15 seconds behind Verstappen, who was experiencing radio issues with 15 laps to go.
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
By lap 55 of 62, Leclerc had reduced his deficit to 8.3 seconds, but the gap stabilized around that mark, and Verstappen ultimately won by a comfortable 7.3 seconds.
Struggling during his lengthy 44-lap stint on softs, Hamilton faced pressure from Norris, but Antonelli capitalized on the situation, overtaking both drivers to secure a podium finish. The seven-time world champion fell to sixth place by the checkered flag, behind Piastri.
Russell battles to ninth
Starting from 19th due to a power unit penalty, Russell gradually made his way through the field, albeit slowly, failing to break into the top 10 until pit strategies allowed him to do so.
He was the last driver to switch tires, doing so during the virtual safety car period, but the timing proved unfavorable as the neutralization ended shortly after he entered the pitlane.
Russell rejoined behind Liam Lawson, Nico Hulkenberg, and Pierre Gasly, only managing to pass the Alpine to finish in ninth.
It was a disappointing race for Gasly, who had qualified in a commendable seventh place but lost two positions to Lawson and Hulkenberg at the start and eventually fell out of the top 10, benefiting Isack Hadjar. The Red Bull driver earned a point despite a challenging Saturday marred by mechanical issues.
Oliver Bearman's aggressive drive featured thrilling wheel-to-wheel battles against Haas teammate Esteban Ocon and a daring inside move on Carlos Sainz, but he ultimately finished in 12th place, ahead of both the Frenchman and the Spaniard. Arvid Lindblad, Fernando Alonso, and Sergio Perez followed.
Valtteri Bottas nearly got lapped by his Cadillac teammate, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto retired due to suspected driveline issues. Alexander Albon also did not finish the race.
F1 Singapore GP Results
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