Max Verstappen continued his dominant form at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, securing his first-ever victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. Starting from pole position, the Red Bull driver executed a clinical performance to claim his second consecutive win of the season, a streak that includes a victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last weekend and a strong showing in the sprint race.
Verstappen admitted he had “unfinished business” heading into the weekend and expressed satisfaction with his performance. “It’s taken a while but I think this race was very good. We had pace when we needed to have it on the soft tyre, even though I think the medium tyre for everyone was more of a struggle,” he noted. Despite experiencing radio communication difficulties for the second time this weekend, which forced his team to rely on coded signals and simple mic-keying, Verstappen maintained a commanding lead throughout. “But it worked out, so of course very happy to win here. Asking the Dutchman to key his mic to make a sound or stay silent when given options on strategy, the issue forced his engineer to resort to coded messages.
Behind the winner, Charles Leclerc secured second place for Ferrari, while Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli claimed the final podium spot. Antonelli’s third-place finish extended his championship lead over teammate George Russell to 102 points, placing him in a position to mathematically seal the title at the next round in Austin. “Can I? Really?” a surprised Antonelli remarked after securing his 14th podium of the season. “Well, let’s not worry about that. Let’s try to do the best weekend as possible and finish the job.” The last two races have been really positive for us and it’s just great to see.”.
The race start saw intense pressure from Leclerc, who nearly challenged Verstappen at turn one, only for the Red Bull leader to firmly close the door. While Verstappen managed his soft tyres to build a gap, the midfield and Ferrari strategies grew chaotic. Lewis Hamilton, who started third, struggled significantly on his medium tyres, leading to frustrations on the team radio as he urged his pit wall to let him pass his teammate Leclerc. “I need to use this speed, mate,” Hamilton pleaded, though Leclerc responded by posting the race’s fastest lap. As the race progressed, Verstappen steadily pulled clear on soft tyres, with Red Bull urging him to manage their life as Ferrari threatened an undercut. Hamilton’s struggles became apparent early as he lost pace on medium tyres in third place and Ferrari brought him in for softs before Leclerc pitted on lap 25 in a move timed to emerge ahead of his teammate.
Ferrari eventually pitted Leclerc on lap 25, followed by Verstappen’s stop on lap 33, which allowed the Dutchman to comfortably retain the lead. The race dynamic shifted during a Virtual Safety Car period triggered by Lance Stroll, whose retirement due to clutch issues disrupted the field. George Russell, having started at the back of the grid due to engine penalties, suffered from the ill-timed VSC and ultimately finished ninth, just behind Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg, with Isack Hadjar in 10th.
Strategic shifts favored Leclerc, who maneuvered past Hamilton on lap 46 to take second. However, he finished nearly 15 seconds behind the leader. Hamilton’s evening worsened as his tyre pace faded during the final stint. On lap 54, a skirmish unfolded as Lando Norris attempted an overtake; the Ferrari driver went wide, allowing Antonelli to advance to fourth. Antonelli then successfully challenged Hamilton for third, while Norris capitalized on the opening to pass the struggling Ferrari. Antonelli then passed Hamilton for third before Norris found his opportunity at turn 10.
Hamilton’s difficult race concluded with a final blow as Oscar Piastri overtook him on the last lap, dropping the Ferrari driver to sixth place by the chequered flag.
