Is Red Bull Now Fastest? | Singapore Grand Prix 2026

Singapore Grand Prix 2026

Max Verstappen converted Red Bull’s dry-weather pace into a controlled victory, beating Charles Leclerc by 7.3 seconds. Leclerc made a strong start from the front row, but Verstappen held him off at the first corner. The review’s commentators felt Leclerc could have fought harder there. Once Verstappen had settled into the lead, his pace and strong traction out of the slow corners made him difficult to catch.

Leclerc stayed within reach early on, but Verstappen gradually pulled away. Late in the race, Leclerc switched to soft tyres and mounted a charge, cutting the gap from about 15 seconds to seven. However, he never looked likely to overhaul the leader. He finished second, while Kimi Antonelli quietly secured another podium in third.

Race results

Lando Norris finished fourth and Oscar Piastri fifth, with Lewis Hamilton a disappointed sixth. Liam Lawson took seventh as the best of the rest, and Nico Hülkenberg finished eighth after a well-managed race.

George Russell and Isack Hadjar recovered from difficult positions. Pierre Gasly, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Arvid Lindblad, Fernando Alonso, Sergio Pérez, Alex Albon and Valtteri Bottas also finished. Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto retired.

Tyres and strategy

Tyres and strategy shaped much of the race. Overtaking was difficult, and the soft tyre proved more effective than expected, while the medium offered little strategic advantage. The race largely settled into a one-stop pattern.

A Virtual Safety Car followed Stroll’s stoppage near Turn 14, where a braking problem was suspected. After getting the car moving again, a clutch failure left it to be recovered. Ferrari brought Leclerc in, and he emerged on soft tyres. Hamilton, whose tyres were already wearing, did not pit.

The presenters questioned why Hamilton missed the opportunity, noting that Ferrari said both cars had been told to come in. Hamilton later said he had missed the pit entry. He apologised over the radio, but staying out left him struggling on old tyres to the finish.

Other weekend developments

Earlier in the weekend, Norris and Piastri clashed in the sprint race. The stewards judged both drivers partly responsible, so neither received a penalty.

The review also described problems in Singapore sprint qualifying: timing data failed to register some laps, and confusion over enabling overtake mode meant drivers received unequal energy deployment.

Championship picture

The result strengthened Antonelli’s championship position to 102 points, while Hamilton remained third, only eight points ahead of Verstappen. Mercedes extended its Constructors’ Championship lead over Ferrari, while McLaren’s lead over Red Bull narrowed to seven points.

The discussion’s broader verdict was that Red Bull has become competitive across a wider range of circuits, though the next race in Austin would provide another test.

The subtitles provide no race clock times; the only specific race reference is Hamilton’s early stop around the end of lap 18.

Presenters and sources: Kevin Turner and Stuart Codling (Autosport); Jake Boxall, reporting from Singapore.