Max Verstappen finally tasted victory in Formula 1, 2026, at the Singapore Grand Prix, securing his first win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Sunday. The Red Bull driver converted pole position into a win, finishing 7.3 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc to claim his 73rd F1 Grand Prix victory. Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third for Mercedes, extending his advantage over teammate George Russell in the drivers' championship. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth respectively, as Verstappen followed his Saturday Sprint victory with another strong result on Singapore's demanding street circuit.

Also Read: Formula 2: FIA F2, F3 2027 Calendars Add Istanbul and Mexico City

F1: Verstappen Holds Off Leclerc at the Start

Leclerc got a stronger start from the front row and quickly put pressure on Verstappen at the first corner. The Ferrari driver searched for a chance to move ahead, but Verstappen protected the inside and kept the lead. Lewis Hamilton remained in third on medium tyres, followed by Antonelli, Norris, and Piastri. The top six held their positions through the early laps, which allowed Verstappen to start increasing his lead over Leclerc.

The first major interruption came when Gabriel Bortoleto stopped on the start-finish straight with a suspected gearbox problem. Race control deployed the Virtual Safety Car, but none of the leading drivers pitted during the neutralisation. Once racing resumed, Verstappen continued his progress. By lap 18, Leclerc was about four seconds behind the Red Bull, leaving Ferrari with work to do if they wanted to challenge for the victory.

Formula 1: Pit Stops Shape the Singapore GP Battle

Hamilton was the first among the leading drivers to pit, changing to soft tyres on lap 18. Antonelli made his stop on lap 23, and Leclerc pitted one lap after that. Verstappen remained on track longer, extending his first stint until lap 32, and rejoined the race still in the lead. A Virtual Safety Car phase was used again on lap 39 following a stop from Lance Stroll in the pit lane with a suspected clutch issue. Leclerc and Antonelli pitted for softs while Hamilton remained on track.

Leclerc rejoined the track about 10 seconds behind Hamilton but soon reduced the gap and overtook the seven-time world champion within five laps. Hamilton stayed on the same set of soft tyres for 44 laps, making tyre management a key aspect of his race. Piastri encountered an extra challenge when a suspected slow puncture led to an additional pit stop on lap 41. The McLaren driver rejoined the race and ultimately finished in fifth place.

Formula 1: Verstappen Manages Radio Problems to Secure Victory

The latter stages weren't all smooth sailing for the Dutch driver. Verstappen had issues with his radio, which meant that he couldn't communicate effectively with his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, and had to send each other coded messages. Leclerc kept on squeezing the gap down to 8.3 seconds with seven laps left in the race, but didn't have enough time to hunt down the Dutch driver.

Verstappen kept his Red Bull ahead and secured a victory that had eluded him during his previous 10 attempts at the Singapore circuit. The result also completed a successful weekend after his Sprint win and Saturday's pole position. Leclerc finished second, giving Ferrari a podium, but the team was unable to overtake Verstappen when it mattered most.

Formula 1: Antonelli Extends Lead Over Russell

Third place for Antonelli was more than just a place on the podium. It lifted the Mercedes driver further ahead of Russell, who was 19th after a poor qualifying and made his way through the field to ninth. Antonelli had his own issues to contend with during the race, including a cockpit leak and brake issue, but managed to hold his position among the front runners.

The outcome kept Antonelli's runners-up advantage intact as the championship headed to Austin for next weekend's US GP, while given the number of points on offer for the winner and Russell's performance, he could even potentially be crowned the drivers' champion there. Verstappen meanwhile leaves Singapore with a win that ends a sorely missed chapter in his F1 ledger at Marina Bay. Leclerc and Antonelli completed the Singapore podium, but the main story was of Verstappen finally writing 'Singapore GP winner' onto his CV after a decade of trying.

Editor - Mandeep Rawat

Mandeep Rawat is the Director & Editor at sportselite.in, bringing a genuine interest in Sports and the stories behind every contest. His approach to Elite Sports focuses on clear reporting, meaningful context, and the details that matter to fans. At sportselite.in, Mandeep works to keep coverage informative, engaging, and easy to follow, covering the people, performances, rivalries, and moments that give Sports their character.

© 2026 all copyrights reserves