Verstappen ends Singapore wait with commanding Marina Bay victory
Max Verstappen finally broke through at the Singapore Grand Prix, converting a commanding race into his first victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Red Bull driver made it back-to-back wins in 2026, holding off Charles Leclerc after building a substantial advantage in the opening half of the race.
Leclerc stayed close in the early laps, briefly closing to within three-tenths of a second as the top four ran within three seconds. Verstappen eventually stretched the gap, while tyre wear began to shape the fight behind him. The changing tyre picture had been a central question in our Singapore Grand Prix strategy guide.
Verstappen turned early pressure into a decisive lead
A brief Virtual Safety Car period followed Gabriel Bortoleto’s stoppage near the pit exit on Lap 8. Verstappen soon moved beyond Leclerc’s one-second range and continued to pull away, setting the fastest lap on Lap 15.
Lewis Hamilton’s early stop on Lap 19 brought him back out in seventh, while Mercedes later brought Kimi Antonelli in. Leclerc stopped on the following lap and rejoined ahead of Hamilton, but both Ferrari drivers were contending with tyre difficulties. McLaren opted to keep Lando Norris on a one-stop plan.
At halfway, Verstappen was 20 seconds clear of Norris. He made his sole stop on Lap 33, taking Medium tyres and retaining the lead as the pit-stop cycle played out. A later VSC, triggered when Lance Stroll stopped with a reported clutch issue, gave Leclerc and Antonelli the chance to make second stops.
Leclerc closed late, but Verstappen held firm
Leclerc moved past Hamilton for second on Lap 46, with Norris also closing on the Ferrari. Norris’s attempt to pass Hamilton several laps later brought Antonelli into the fight; the Mercedes driver moved into third, while Norris got ahead of Hamilton on the following lap.
Verstappen had a late moment at the final corner, briefly losing more than a second, and Leclerc cut the gap to under ten seconds. But the Red Bull driver stabilised his pace and reached the chequered flag ahead of the Ferrari. Antonelli finished third, claiming his 14th podium of the season and extending his championship lead by 92 points ahead of the United States Grand Prix.
The result delivered the breakthrough at Marina Bay that had framed the weekend. Our Singapore preview examined the challenge Verstappen faced; the race ended with him firmly in control.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.