Quick answer: Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix - 2026 on 11 October at Marina Bay. He started from pole, led the race from start to finish, and beat Charles Leclerc by 7.335 seconds. Kimi Antonelli finished third and leads the drivers' championship with 340 points, 102 ahead of George Russell. Antonelli can clinch the title at the next race in the United States.
Table of Contents
- Singapore Grand Prix 2026 race summary
- Weekend results at a glance
- Qualifying report
- Sprint race report
- Grid changes before the race
- How the race unfolded
- Full race results
- Retirements and incidents
- Key storylines
- Drivers' championship standings after Singapore
- Constructors' championship
- Race statistics
- Marina Bay and Singapore Grand Prix history
- What comes next
- FAQ
- Related articles
Singapore Grand Prix - 2026 race summary
Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on 11 October. It was round 17 of the Formula 1 season. It was also the first time Verstappen won this race. He did it on his 250th Grand Prix start, and it was the 73rd win of his career. You can read the pre-race build-up in our Singapore Grand Prix schedule and preview.
Verstappen had already won the Saturday sprint and taken pole position. On Sunday he led the 62-lap race and finished 7.335 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli completed the podium.
The result moved the title fight forward. Antonelli now has 340 points and a 102-point lead over his Mercedes teammate George Russell. He can win the championship at the United States Grand Prix.
This report covers qualifying, the sprint, the race, the full classification, and the drivers' standings after Singapore.
Weekend results at a glance
Verstappen won every session that awarded a trophy or a pole position. He took 33 points from the weekend: 8 for the sprint win and 25 for the Grand Prix. For the original weekend timetable, see the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix schedule.
| Date | Session | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 9 October | Sprint Qualifying | Verstappen pole, 1:31.156 |
| 10 October | Sprint race | Verstappen won, Hamilton second, and Leclerc third. |
| 10 October | Qualifying | Verstappen pole, 1:31.373 |
| 11 October | Grand Prix (62 laps) | Verstappen won, Leclerc second, Antonelli third |
Qualifying report
Verstappen took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix with a lap of 1:31.373. It was his first pole at Marina Bay. He set that time on his opening Q3 run, and nobody beat it.
Leclerc finished 0.054 seconds behind. He improved on his final lap and moved onto the front row. That pushed Lewis Hamilton to third, 0.123 seconds off pole. Hamilton had led the early part of the session through Q1 and Q2, but he could not improve on his last run.
Antonelli qualified fourth, 0.189 seconds from pole. Lando Norris was fifth, 0.339 seconds back. Norris is the reigning world champion.
Russell set the sixth-fastest time, 0.374 seconds off pole. He started from the back because of a penalty for engine changes. Oscar Piastri was seventh, followed by Pierre Gasly in eighth. Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls took ninth and tenth.
Nico Hulkenberg missed Q3 by 0.182 seconds and took 11th for Audi. Isack Hadjar did not set a time after car trouble.
Qualifying top 10
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap to pole |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:31.373 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +0.054s |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +0.123s |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +0.189s |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +0.339s |
| 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | +0.374s |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +0.487s |
| 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +0.852s |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +0.996s |
| 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1.408s |
Russell's grid penalty meant he did not start sixth. The next sections explain where each driver lined up.
Sprint race report
Rain delayed the Saturday sprint by about 30 minutes. The field then did two formation laps behind the safety car before the start.
Verstappen had taken the sprint pole on Friday with a lap of 1:31.156. Russell was 0.120 seconds behind him, and Leclerc was third. Piastri was fourth, Norris fifth, Hamilton sixth, and Antonelli seventh.
Russell beat Verstappen into the first corner on the wet track. His lead did not last. He lost control within the first two laps and hit the barrier. That ended his sprint and brought out the safety car.
Hamilton made the best start of anyone. He moved from sixth to third at the start, and Russell's crash promoted him to second. The race restarted on lap 7. Verstappen handled the restart well and began to pull away as the track dried.
Verstappen won by 2.591 seconds. It was his first win in Singapore in any format. Leclerc finished third, 16.871 seconds behind the winner.
The race ended with a collision between the two McLarens. Norris tried to pass Piastri on the inside at Turn 5 on the final lap. The cars touched and spun. Piastri stopped and was classified 14th. Norris rejoined and finished eighth.
Antonelli inherited fourth place from the incident. Lawson, Oliver Bearman, and Hulkenberg took fifth to seventh.
Sprint top eight
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Winner |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +2.591s |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +16.871s |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +17.238s |
| 5 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +20.632s |
| 6 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +24.321s |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +27.525s |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +28.272s |
Grid changes before the race
Several drivers lined up somewhere other than their qualifying position.
- Russell dropped to 19th on the grid because of an engine penalty.
- Hadjar started from the pit lane after his team used extra power unit elements.
- Fernando Alonso also started from the pit lane after a new power unit component.
- Lance Stroll started from the pit lane because his Aston Martin was modified under parc ferme conditions.
The race stewards cleared Norris of any further action for the sprint contact before the Grand Prix. He started fifth, with Piastri alongside him on the third row.
Mechanics worked on the brakes of Antonelli's Mercedes as it waited on the grid in fourth. The work appeared to finish before lights out.
The grid was split evenly between soft and medium tires. Verstappen chose the soft compound. Hamilton, in third, chose the medium.
How the race unfolded
The start
Leclerc made a good start from second. Verstappen moved across to protect the lead and held first place into the first corner. He had pole, the sprint win and now the lead of the Grand Prix.
Norris and Piastri ran close together but avoided a repeat of the sprint contact. Norris then went after Antonelli in fourth. Lawson gained a place and moved to seventh. Hulkenberg and Sainz climbed into the top 10.
Further back, the Haas pair of Esteban Ocon and Bearman fought over 11th. Bearman came out ahead. Russell had already reached 15th by lap 5 after his start from the back.
Leclerc pushes, then Verstappen pulls clear.
Leclerc stayed within 0.6 seconds of Verstappen early on. That gap gave him overtake mode. By lap 7, the gap had grown again.
The Virtual Safety Car came out when Gabriel Bortoleto stopped near the pit lane exit. His Audi had a gearbox problem. The car later caught fire in the pit lane, and marshals put it out. The pit lane entry closed for a short time.
By lap 15, Verstappen led by 2.6 seconds. Hadjar had climbed to 16th, and Russell was 12th.
Strategy splits the field.
Ferrari pursued two different plans. Hamilton pitted on lap 19 for fresh soft tyres and returned in seventh. He passed Lawson for sixth two laps later. For a time he was the only frontrunner to have stopped.
Antonelli pitted on lap 24 for mediums and came out sixth, behind Hamilton. Leclerc stopped one lap later and rejoined just ahead of Hamilton in fourth. Hamilton said he lost time behind his teammate.
At the front, Verstappen waited. By lap 28 his lead over Norris was 17.9 seconds, with Piastri third. On lap 33, Verstappen stopped and switched from the soft to the medium tire. The stop was smooth, and he kept the lead.
Norris and Piastri stopped soon after. Piastri's stop was slow, and he rejoined sixth, about six seconds behind his teammate.
Virtual Safety Car and second stops
Stroll's Aston Martin stopped at Turn 15 with a suspected clutch problem. That brought out a second virtual safety car. Leclerc and Antonelli both used it to make a second stop. Russell stopped for the first time just as the period ended, so he gained less from it.
Antonelli reported a problem with his brakes and fluid around his feet. The team said heat soak caused the fluid. Antonelli had also gone beyond the track limits at Turn 2 more than once, and he received a black and white flag. The stewards did not penalise him, and he kept his finishing position.
Piastri made a second stop on lap 42 after a slow puncture.
The run to the flag
Leclerc passed Hamilton for second on lap 46. Hamilton had stopped only once and was losing pace on older tires. Ferrari believed he was a few laps short of reaching the end on that set. The race ended with Hamilton apologizing to the team over the radio, which suggested the decision not to stop again was his.
Russell passed Gasly for ninth on lap 48 after a long recovery drive.
With 10 laps left, Verstappen led Leclerc by just under 10 seconds. Hamilton was third, 11.8 seconds behind his teammate, with Norris within half a second of him. Antonelli, Piastri, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Russell, and Gasly followed.
Verstappen's radio began to fail around this time. His engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, struggled to hear him, and the team used the pit board to communicate.
Behind them, the fight for the last podium place changed the order. Hamilton ran wide while defending against Norris. Antonelli passed Norris and then took third from Hamilton at Turn 16. The stewards looked at Hamilton leaving the track and took no further action.
Norris then passed Hamilton for fourth. Piastri followed and took fifth from Hamilton at Turn 16. Hamilton fell from third to sixth in a few laps.
Verstappen took the chequered flag in 1:42:00.785. Leclerc was second and Antonelli third.
"It's taken a while, but I think this race was very good," said Verstappen.
Full race results
The table below shows the official classification of the Singapore Grand Prix 2026.
| Pos | No. | Driver | Team | Laps | Time / Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 62 | 1:42:00.785 | 25 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 62 | +7.335s | 18 |
| 3 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 62 | +24.573s | 15 |
| 4 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 62 | +40.506s | 12 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 62 | +49.644s | 10 |
| 6 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 62 | +53.188s | 8 |
| 7 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 62 | +81.666s | 6 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 62 | +83.386s | 4 |
| 9 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 62 | +84.677s | 2 |
| 10 | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 62 | +90.862s | 1 |
| 11 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 12 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 15 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 16 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 61 | +1 lap | 0 |
| 17 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 60 | +2 laps | 0 |
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 59 | DNF, classified | 0 |
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 59 | +3 laps | 0 |
| NC | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | n/a | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | n/a | DNF | 0 |
| NC | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | n/a | DNF | 0 |
Hadjar and Russell scored points after starting from the back of the grid. Hadjar began from the pit lane and finished 10th. Russell started 19th and finished ninth.
Retirements and incidents
Three drivers did not finish.
- Gabriel Bortoleto (Audi): gearbox problem, followed by a fire in the pit lane. He was the first retirement and caused the first Virtual Safety Car.
- Franco Colapinto (Alpine): suspected driveline problem around lap 31.
- Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): suspected clutch problem at Turn 15 around lap 37. This caused the second Virtual Safety Car.
Alexander Albon stopped late in the race. He had completed enough laps to be classified 18th.
The stewards noted Carlos Sainz for leaving the track and gaining an advantage early on. They decided no investigation was needed. Sainz had also drawn a complaint from Lindblad over a first-lap move.
Key storylines
Verstappen finally wins at Marina Bay
Verstappen is a four-time world champion. Before this weekend, he had never won in Singapore, in either a sprint or a Grand Prix. He took pole, the sprint win and the race win in one weekend.
His second place here in 2024 was his best result before this year. In 2026, he won with a smooth stop and a lead of about 10 seconds or more for most of the second half. The race win was his second of the season and came after his win at the previous round in Malaysia.
The result lifted him to fourth in the championship, ahead of Leclerc.
Antonelli moves closer to the championship
Antonelli did not have the strongest car on Sunday. He still finished third, which was enough to grow his lead.
He dealt with track limits warnings, brake concerns, and a leak of fluid around his feet. He also lost a place in the closing laps, then took it back from Hamilton. He is 20 years old and has eight wins this season.
His lead over Russell is now 102 points. Six races remain, with 150 points available. Antonelli can win the championship mathematically at the next round in the United States. Whether he does depends on how Russell, Hamilton and Verstappen score there.
Russell's difficult weekend
Russell had a poor weekend by his own standards. He crashed out of the lead in the sprint, took a grid penalty for engine changes and started 19th on Sunday.
He recovered to ninth in the race. He lost time behind Hulkenberg in the closing stages and could not get past. He took two points. For earlier season context, see our Italian Grand Prix preview at Monza.
Ferrari and Hamilton lose out on strategy
Ferrari had two cars on the second row, but the race did not follow the plan for Hamilton. He made one stop and chose to stay out. His tyres faded in the last laps, and he finished sixth after running third with 10 laps to go.
Leclerc took second place. Ferrari remain second in the constructors' standings.
McLaren leave points behind
The sprint contact between Norris and Piastri cost McLaren in Saturday's race. On Sunday, the two cars finished fourth and fifth, with 22 points between them.
Norris said McLaren needs a more fundamental fix for the car's weak points. Piastri's race was affected by a slow stop and a puncture.
Hulkenberg has his best weekend of the year
Nico Hulkenberg qualified 11th and finished eighth, with two points in the sprint and four in the race. The official F1 site described it as his best weekend of the season. He now has 13 points.
Drivers' championship standings after Singapore
Antonelli leads, and the battle for second place is close. Russell, Hamilton and Verstappen are separated by 17 points.
| Pos | Driver | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 340 |
| 2 | George Russell | Mercedes | 238 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 229 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 221 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 215 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 201 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 138 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | 97 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 75 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 41 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 38 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 27 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 23 |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 13 |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 10 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 7 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 7 |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 5 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 0 |
| 23 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 0 |
Gaps to the leader
| Driver | Points behind Antonelli |
|---|---|
| Russell | 102 |
| Hamilton | 111 |
| Verstappen | 119 |
| Leclerc | 125 |
| Norris | 139 |
| Piastri | 202 |
What changed in the standings
- Verstappen moved up to fourth and passed Leclerc.
- Hamilton stayed third but is only eight points ahead of Verstappen.
- Antonelli's lead over Russell grew from 89 points after the sprint to 102 after the race.
- Antonelli leads the season with eight wins. Russell has three, Hamilton one and Verstappen two.
Constructors' championship
Mercedes lead the constructors' championship with 578 points. Ferrari are second with 444. McLaren are third with 339.
Ferrari's second place and Hamilton's sixth place helped the team keep its position, even though Hamilton lost three places late in the race. Mercedes stay well ahead of Ferrari, with a 134-point gap.
Race statistics
- Race winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull
- Pole position: Max Verstappen, 1:31.373
- Race time: 1:42:00.785
- Winning margin: 7.335 seconds over Leclerc
- Laps: 62
- Starters: 22 cars
- Classified finishers: 19
- Retirements: 3 (Stroll, Colapinto, Bortoleto)
- Virtual Safety Car periods: 2
- Verstappen's career wins: 73
- Verstappen's starts: 250
- Weekend points for Verstappen: 33 (8 sprint, 25 race)
Marina Bay and Singapore Grand Prix history
Singapore has hosted a motor race since 1961. The first event was the Orient Year Grand Prix, run on the Thomson Road circuit. Organisers renamed it the Singapore Grand Prix in 1966, shortly after Singapore became a sovereign country in 1965.
Formula 1 arrived at Marina Bay in 2008. That race was the first night race in Formula 1 history. It was also the 800th world championship Formula 1 race since 1950. The circuit uses public roads around Marina Bay, so teams race under floodlights in hot and humid conditions.
The track is known as one of the hardest on the calendar. Through the 2024 race, every edition at Marina Bay had at least one safety car. In total, there had been 24 safety car deployments in that period. In 2026, the official race report describes two Virtual Safety Car periods.
The race holds a contract with Formula 1 through at least 2028. The 2024 winner was Lando Norris, ahead of Verstappen and Piastri. Verstappen's win in 2026 gives him a victory at a circuit where he had earlier finished second. For another Formula 1 street race, read our Azerbaijan Grand Prix 2022 report.
What comes next
The 2026 season resumes after a weekend off with the United States Grand Prix in Austin on 23 to 25 October. Six races remain:
| Round | Race | Date |
|---|---|---|
| 18 | United States Grand Prix | 25 October (race day) |
| 19 | Mexico City Grand Prix | 1 November |
| 20 | Brazilian Grand Prix | 8 November |
| 21 | Las Vegas Grand Prix | 22 November |
| 22 | Qatar Grand Prix | 29 November |
Antonelli can win the championship in Austin. Russell, Hamilton, and Verstappen will try to stop that and to take second place in the standings.
FAQ
Who won the Singapore Grand Prix 2026?
Max Verstappen won for Red Bull. He started from pole and finished 7.335 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
Who finished on the podium?
Verstappen was first, Leclerc second, and Kimi Antonelli third.
Who won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint?
Verstappen also won the sprint. Lewis Hamilton was second and Leclerc third.
Who is leading the F1 drivers' championship after Singapore?
Antonelli leads with 340 points. Russell is second with 238, Hamilton third with 229, and Verstappen fourth with 221.
Can Antonelli win the championship in Austin?
Yes, mathematically. The result depends on how many points Russell and the other contenders score at the United States Grand Prix.
Why did Russell start the race 19th?
He took a grid penalty for engine changes. He qualified sixth but dropped back, then finished ninth.
Which drivers retired from the Singapore Grand Prix?
Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto. Alexander Albon stopped late but was classified 18th.
When is the next Formula 1 race?
The United States Grand Prix is on 23 to 25 October in Austin.