2026 F1 Singapore Grand Prix, round 17: Verstappen takes first Marina Bay win as Leclerc and Antonelli complete podium

Round 17 of the 2026 F1 season, the Singapore Grand Prix, concluded at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 11. Max Verstappen won from pole by 7.335 seconds to claim his first Singapore Grand Prix victory, with Charles Leclerc second and Kimi Antonelli third. It was also Verstappen’s 250th Grand Prix start. He topped all four competitive sessions that weekend: Sprint Qualifying, the Sprint, qualifying and the Grand Prix.

Verstappen holds position at the start as Red Bull retains the lead through the stops

Leclerc pressured the pole-sitter at the start, but Verstappen held the lead through Turn 1 and the top six remained unchanged. Both started on softs, while Hamilton, in third, used mediums, leaving Ferrari two different pit-stop options. Early in the race, Bortoleto’s car stopped in the pit lane, triggering the first Virtual Safety Car and requiring cars on track to observe the prescribed speed limit.

Hamilton was first to switch to softs, with Leclerc and Antonelli subsequently taking mediums. Verstappen extended his opening stint and remained in front after his own stop. Neither Ferrari took the lead through the first tyre changes, and the main uncertainty in the second half gradually shifted to the remaining podium places.

The second Virtual Safety Car changes the chasing order

Stroll’s stoppage and retirement triggered a Virtual Safety Car, which Leclerc and Antonelli used to stop again. Hamilton stayed out to move into second, while Norris rose to fourth when Antonelli changed tyres. Leclerc subsequently repassed his team-mate to regain second and held it to the finish.

Hamilton struggled to defend his position on his softs late in the race. As Norris attacked him, Antonelli seized the opportunity to pass Norris and then Hamilton for third. Norris subsequently also completed his pass. Piastri, who had made an extra stop for a slow front-right puncture, caught and passed Hamilton late on, leaving the two McLarens fourth and fifth and Hamilton sixth. The stewards found that both Hamilton and Norris had left the track during their Turn 1 battle and rejoined in the correct order, deciding to take no further action.

Lawson seventh as Russell and Hadjar recover points

Lawson finished seventh and Hulkenberg held eighth. Russell, starting 19th after a power-unit penalty, recovered to ninth but could not pass Hulkenberg. Hadjar took tenth from a pit-lane start, earning one point after a weekend disrupted by successive mechanical failures.

Albon retired after completing 59 laps but was still classified 18th. Stroll, Colapinto and Bortoleto completed 36, 29 and 7 laps respectively and were not classified. Audi reported a suspected gearbox problem on Bortoleto’s car, while Alpine reported a suspected drivetrain failure for Colapinto. Both teams needed further checks to confirm the causes.

Verstappen followed his victory at the previous round with another at Marina Bay. Antonelli’s podium extended his points advantage over team-mate Russell. Following Singapore, the next round of the season will take place in Austin, United States, on October 23–25.

Race results