Verstappen Wins First Singapore Grand Prix as Antonelli Extends Championship Lead
Max Verstappen converted pole position into his first Singapore Grand Prix victory — the 73rd win of his career on his 250th start — leading all 62 laps at Marina Bay while Charles Leclerc finished second and championship leader Kimi Antonelli came home third.
Max Verstappen ended his Singapore drought on Sunday, converting pole position into a commanding victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit — the first win of his career at Formula 1’s most demanding night race.
The Red Bull driver held off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into the first corner and was never seriously threatened over the 62 laps, crossing the line in 1 hour, 42 minutes and 0.785 seconds. It was Verstappen’s 73rd career victory on his 250th Grand Prix start, and it capped a perfect weekend: he had also won Saturday’s rain-affected Sprint and taken his first pole at the venue.
Leclerc finished 7.335 seconds behind in second, while Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli took third, 24.573 seconds back, a result Formula1.com reported will extend the Italian’s championship lead. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri followed in fourth and fifth, managing to avoid a repeat of their Sprint-race collision a day earlier.
Hamilton fades to sixth, recovery drives round out the top 10
Lewis Hamilton’s race unraveled on strategy: after an early stop, the Ferrari driver clung to an aging set of tires rather than pitting a second time, fading to sixth and apologizing to his team over the radio after the checkered flag — a move Formula1.com reported suggested the call had been his.
Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson claimed seventh ahead of Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg, while Mercedes’ George Russell and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar produced the day’s best recovery drives — Russell climbing from 19th after an engine penalty and Hadjar from the pit lane to finish ninth and tenth.
Three drivers retired: Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll with a suspected clutch problem, Alpine’s Franco Colapinto with a driveline failure and Audi’s Gabriel Bortoleto, whose car briefly caught fire after a gearbox issue.
It was Verstappen’s second consecutive victory of the season, and the championship fight now heads into its decisive stretch with Antonelli still leading the standings.
Reporting based on coverage by Formula1.com and Reuters.
