Verstappen wins Singapore GP from pole, Leclerc second and Antonelli third
Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay circuit on 11 October 2026, holding off Charles Leclerc as Kimi Antonelli finished third.
Verstappen converted pole into victory to complete a dominant weekend that included wins in the sprint and the grand prix; the result was his first triumph at Marina Bay and came in the race that marked his 250th start. The win was the 73rd of his career and Red Bull’s first victory in Singapore since 2022, continuing a run of improved performance for the team.
The Dutch driver led from the start despite his radio communications with the team failing, showing control across the event after taking pole and the sprint win earlier in the weekend. Recent upgrades to the Red Bull were cited in the report as having transformed the car’s behaviour compared with earlier in the season and contributed to its strong showing at the last two meetings.
Verstappen just held the lead through the opening corners as Leclerc pushed hard, with Lando Norris and Antonelli occupying third and fourth early on. The Ferrari of Leclerc looked quick in the opening laps and Verstappen had opened a gap of three seconds by lap 17.
Hamilton, on medium tyres, was slow enough that Mercedes brought him in on lap 18 for soft rubber and he responded with a run of fastest laps. Antonelli pitted on lap 23 and rejoined behind Hamilton; Leclerc stopped a lap later taking medium tyres. Hamilton told the team he had lost two-seconds over a lap behind Leclerc after Ferrari opted not to switch their drivers.
Both Verstappen and Norris made scheduled stops on lap 32, with Verstappen retaining the lead and Norris moving ahead of Antonelli at that sequence. A virtual safety car was deployed on lap 39 when Lance Stroll came to a halt on track; Ferrari used the interruption to pit Leclerc, while Hamilton elected not to come in and his decision did not pay off.
In the closing stages Antonelli dived past Norris to take a position and then passed Hamilton to secure third; Norris reclaimed a place a lap later and Oscar Piastri moved ahead of Hamilton as the Briton’s tyres faded. Norris finished fourth, Piastri fifth and Hamilton sixth, while George Russell recovered from a 19th-place grid slot to finish ninth.
Antonelli now leads Russell by 102 points in the championship; he can mathematically clinch the title at the next round in Austin if he wins there and Russell finishes lower than eighth place.