Last Updated on October 12, 2026 by Jeff Tomas
SINGAPORE – Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finally conquered the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday night. He won the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time in his racing career. This outstanding victory marked the end of a perfect weekend for the Red Bull driver.
Before this event, Verstappen had never secured a win or a pole position in Singapore. He had tried nine times since his racing debut back in 2015. However, he dominated this weekend by winning the sprint and taking pole position for both races.
Key Takeaways
- Max Verstappen won his first-ever Singapore Grand Prix, finishing 7.335 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
- The Red Bull driver completed a perfect weekend by also securing pole positions and winning the sprint race.
- Lewis Hamilton dropped from third to sixth place after a strategic error regarding his tire changes.
Verstappen drove brilliantly under the bright lights of the city track. He finished the grueling 62-lap race exactly 7.335 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. Meanwhile, Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli grabbed third place to extend his overall championship lead.
According to a Channel News Asia report, Verstappen expressed immense happiness after crossing the finish line. He noted that it had taken a while to finally win on this specific track. The Dutchman also mentioned that his car had great speed on both soft and medium tires.
This win comes right after another major victory for the Red Bull team. Verstappen recently triumphed in Malaysia just seven days prior to this race. That previous victory was actually his first major win of the 2026 season.
He told reporters that the team feels highly motivated right now. They want to keep delivering strong results and have fun until the year ends. This sudden boost in performance shows that Red Bull is finding its best form again.
The Fierce Battle at the Starting Line in Singapore
The race started with intense pressure right from the opening moments. Leclerc reacted very quickly when the lights went out and challenged Verstappen immediately. The Red Bull driver had to swerve sharply to his left to protect his leading position.
Verstappen successfully blocked the Ferrari driver as they approached the very first corner. Leclerc then decided to stay close to Verstappen’s rear bumper for the next few laps. Behind them, Lewis Hamilton worked hard to keep Kimi Antonelli behind his Mercedes.
Tire strategy played a massive role in how the final results played out. Hamilton was the only front-runner who chose to start the race on slower medium tires. He was also the first driver to visit the pit lane for fresh soft tires on lap 19.
On the other hand, Verstappen waited patiently until lap 32 to make his pit stop. Once all the top six drivers completed their stops, the racing order remained largely unchanged. However, a virtual safety car situation soon completely changed the dynamic of the race.
Strategic Errors Cost Mercedes Valuable Points
Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin broke down on the track, triggering the virtual safety car. Antonelli and Leclerc quickly used this chance to dive into the pits for a second time. This smart move gave them fresh tires while the other cars were forced to drive slowly.
Surprisingly, Hamilton decided to stay out on the track with his much older tires. His team had actually called him into the pits, but he chose to ignore the instruction. This confusing decision ultimately cost the seven-time world champion a guaranteed spot on the podium.
Leclerc easily passed Hamilton for second place using his fresh rubber. Later in the race, McLaren’s Lando Norris also tried to overtake the struggling Mercedes driver. During this fight, Antonelli took advantage of the situation and brilliantly passed both of them.
Antonelli safely secured third place, while Norris and his teammate Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth. Hamilton eventually finished in sixth place, clearly frustrated by his poor tactical choice. He later apologized to his team over the radio for the costly strategy mistake.
Following these dramatic late-race battles, the final standings highlighted a shifting momentum in the sport. Liam Lawson drove his car to a respectable seventh-place finish, while Nico Hulkenberg secured eighth place for Audi. Furthermore, George Russell finished ninth after starting at the back of the grid, and Isack Hadjar managed to grab the final point in tenth place.
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