Five key insights from the Singapore Grand Prix

Antonelli does what’s needed

Kimi Antonelli wasn’t in the best spirits on Friday evening, having placed seventh in both free practice and sprint qualifying. The 20-year-old attributed this to his modified Mercedes package, which had reportedly been challenging to handle and fell short of expectations as Red Bull and Max Verstappen overtook them in Sepang and now Singapore.

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

However, as the Marina Bay weekend unfolded, the championship leader became more in sync with his upgraded W17 and secured the kind of points haul that will lead him to this 2026 title. Antonelli doesn’t need to triumph in every race; he just has to optimize his performance in each grand prix, which is something Oscar Piastri struggled with last year when he had a significant edge over McLaren teammate Lando Norris.

History is not repeating itself - and a first title is merely a matter of time.

- Ed Hardy

What does Mercedes do?

While Antonelli gradually found his footing with the new package as the weekend progressed, it must still be concerning for Mercedes that this upgrade hasn’t fully met expectations. In Baku, Verstappen was asked if he believes he can actually secure a race win in 2026, and he pointed to this upgrade for the Silver Arrows as a reason for why he may not.

The four-time world champion asserted that, although Red Bull’s update brought them closer to Mercedes in Baku, the gap will naturally revert to what it was during the Silver Arrows' dominant phase. Yet the contrary has occurred, with Verstappen triumphing in both races since then.

Given the current trajectory, one could easily envision Verstappen carrying this momentum into 2027 and launching a strong title bid. Thus, Mercedes has critical decisions to make to ensure it returns to its previous dominant status, which involves focusing all efforts on 2027.

- Ed Hardy

Ferrari is still a force in F1 2026

When it comes to Ferrari, it appears that for Italian fans, the outlook is either grim or overflowing with passion. With no consistent victories to celebrate with enthusiasm, discussions about leadership changes or other alterations are almost inevitable.

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Nevertheless, Ferrari still holds a solid second place in the constructors' championship, maintaining a significant gap over its closest competitors, even though Mercedes is too far ahead. If not for Red Bull's recent upgrade, the Scuderia might have even claimed victory in Singapore. Yes, it’s filled with contingencies, but still... The team from Maranello isn't as underperforming as some are suggesting.

Clearly, progress has been made since last year, and frankly, based on the championship standings, only one team has outperformed them. But of course, the red team's supporters will never be fully content with that.

- Oleg Karpov

Lawson strengthens his case for a 2027 Racing Bulls seat

Liam Lawson is doing everything necessary to secure his Racing Bulls seat for next season, even though the team maintains it is in "no rush" to finalize its lineup.

During Friday's official press conference, team principal Alan Permane mentioned he was keeping his options open regarding who would partner Arvid Lindblad in 2027. The rookie has yet to receive formal confirmation, but he has demonstrated his value for quite some time now.

Formula 2 championship leader Nikola Tsolov is a strong candidate. Promoting the 19-year-old Bulgarian would make perfect sense, considering the Faenza outfit's traditional role as a stepping stone to F1 for Red Bull's junior drivers.

Liam Lawson, Racing Bulls

However, Lawson is building an increasingly convincing argument to remain in his position. Another confident drive to seventh in Singapore, finishing as the best of the rest, only reinforced his case.

That result marked his eighth top-seven finish in 16 grands prix this season and raised his total to an impressive 75 points, placing him comfortably ninth in the drivers' standings.

Racing Bulls anticipates making its decision in the "coming weeks." Until then, Lawson can do little more than continue delivering strong performances – and he is providing the team with every reason to retain him.

- Federico Faturos