Verstappen wins the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time, Antonelli third to stretch title lead
Max Verstappen converted pole into his first ever Singapore Grand Prix win, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli now leads Russell by 102 points with six races left.
Max Verstappen has finally won the Singapore Grand Prix. He converted pole into victory at Marina Bay, finishing 7.3 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc after 62 laps and just over an hour and 42 minutes, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli third.
It completes a perfect weekend for Verstappen: Sprint pole, the Sprint win, Grand Prix pole and now the Grand Prix itself. His pole was the 50th of his career and his first ever at Marina Bay, and the win, the 73rd of his career, came on his 250th Grand Prix start. It was his 10th attempt at winning in Singapore.
The race was decided in the first few hundred metres. Verstappen kept the lead on the short run to Turn 1, and from there Red Bull could control the pace.
It’s also back-to-back wins, after his victory at Sepang a week ago. Red Bull are firmly back at the front.
Hamilton’s tyre gamble
Ferrari could have had both cars on the podium. Lewis Hamilton was running right behind Charles Leclerc when a virtual safety car came out.
Leclerc pitted under the VSC for fresh tyres and switched to a two-stop strategy. Hamilton stayed out on an old set, and it backfired. With no grip left, he was losing two seconds a lap and at times three to four seconds, and he was passed first by Leclerc, then Antonelli and then Lando Norris. He finished sixth.
Hamilton has taken the blame, saying staying out was his call. It is the second race weekend in a row where Ferrari’s strategy has cost them.
The VSC also caught out George Russell.
Podium notes
- Leclerc’s second place is his 55th podium for Ferrari, tying him with Rubens Barrichello and Sebastian Vettel for second in the team’s history.
- It’s the 10th time Verstappen and Leclerc have finished first and second, in that order.
- Antonelli’s third place is his 14th podium in 17 rounds this season.
Full race report to follow.
Result
| Pos | Driver | Team | Time / Gap | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:42:00.785 | 25 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +7.335s | 18 |
| 3 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +24.573s | 15 |
| 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +40.506s | 12 |
| 5 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | +49.644s | 10 |
| 6 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +53.188s | 8 |
| 7 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +81.666s | 6 |
| 8 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +83.386s | 4 |
| 9 | George Russell | Mercedes | +84.677s | 2 |
| 10 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | +90.862s | 1 |
| 11 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +1 lap | |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +1 lap | |
| 13 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +1 lap | |
| 14 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +1 lap | |
| 15 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +1 lap | |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +1 lap | |
| 17 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | +2 laps | |
| 18 | Alex Albon | Williams | DNF (classified, 59 laps) | |
| 19 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | +3 laps | |
| NC | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | DNF (36 laps) | |
| NC | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | DNF (29 laps) | |
| NC | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | DNF (7 laps) |
Official provisional classification. Albon retired late but completed enough laps to be classified 18th.
What it means for the title
Antonelli’s podium stretches his lead. Russell fought from 21st on the grid to ninth, and was still battling Nico Hulkenberg for eighth on the final lap, but two points weren’t enough to stop the gap growing.
| Pos | Driver | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | 340 | |
| 2 | George Russell | 238 | -102 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | 229 | -111 |
| 4 | Max Verstappen | 221 | -119 |
| 5 | Charles Leclerc | 215 | -125 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 201 | -139 |
With six races and 150 points left, Antonelli can now be crowned in Austin on 25 October, which would make him the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history. He needs to leave the United States Grand Prix more than 125 points clear of everyone, so that weekend he has to outscore Russell by 24 points, Hamilton by 15, Verstappen by 7 and Leclerc by 1.
Starting grid
| Pos | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
| 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren |
| 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine |
| 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls |
| 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi |
| 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas |
| 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi |
| 15 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine |
| 16 | Fernando Alonso* | Aston Martin |
| 17 | Alex Albon | Williams |
| 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin |
| 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac |
| 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac |
| 21 | George Russell | Mercedes |
| 22 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull |
George Russell qualified sixth but starts 21st after a 40-place engine penalty. Isack Hadjar starts last after setting no time in qualifying.
*Aston Martin says Alonso is changing his engine, which should drop him to the back once the FIA confirms it. Everyone from 17th to 20th would then move up a place.
