Verstappen wins Singapore sprint after Russell crashes out
Max Verstappen won the sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix on 10 October 2026 after George Russell crashed out of the lead on the opening lap.
The start had been delayed by 30 minutes because of a tropical downpour that left parts of the Marina Bay circuit wet and others dry; the second sector remained dry while the first sector, particularly Turns Two and Three, had standing water. The field completed two laps behind the safety car to assess conditions before a standing start, and Russell beat Verstappen off the line to take the lead into the first corner. He then ran a little wide at the final corner at the end of the first lap, lost control and spun across the track into the inside wall before the car bounced back to the outside and the rest of the field somehow avoided him. Russell said: "I just misjudged it, got more power than I was expecting from the battery, got a little wider than I expected and touched the white line. Rule number one in the wet is don't touch the white line. Very silly mistake."
Verstappen completed the race in first place, with Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton taking second after a superb start from sixth on the grid and team-mate Charles Leclerc finishing third. Russell's team-mate Kimi Antonelli was promoted to fourth following a final-lap incident between the McLarens, and, in combination with Russell's retirement, that extends the Italian's championship lead to 89 points.
The sprint was eventful after Russell's crash, with Verstappen negotiating the safety car period that followed and a restart before coming under initial pressure from Hamilton; the Red Bull then began to pull clear and was described as easing away into a comfortable lead. After Russell's accident the running order showed Verstappen leading Hamilton, Leclerc, Piastri, Norris and Antonelli as the race settled, with overtaking difficult around the circuit and the field largely static until the closing stages.
Leclerc began to struggle in the closing laps and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli, while Norris had been pressuring Oscar Piastri and then closed on Leclerc. On the final lap Norris made a better exit out of Turn Three and attempted a pass on Piastri at Turn Five; the cars touched and spun together, with Piastri hitting the barriers and being out on the spot. Norris was able to continue but fell to eighth place behind Racing Bulls' Liam Lawson, Haas driver Oliver Bearman and Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, and the stewards will investigate the Norris-Piastri incident after the race.
The race was described in the report as chaotic, with a tropical downpour shortly before the scheduled start and mixed track conditions, and it was noted as the Dutchman's second Formula 1 win in seven days, after his maiden victory this season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, and the first time he has won in Singapore.
The delayed start to the sprint means grand prix qualifying will begin 30 minutes later than originally scheduled, at 14:30 BST.