2026 F1 Singapore Grand Prix, round 17, Sprint: Verstappen wins as Ferrari finishes second and third

The Sprint at the Singapore Grand Prix, round 17 of the 2026 F1 season, concluded on October 10, Beijing time (UTC+8), on a Marina Bay Street Circuit left wet and slippery by rain. Max Verstappen completed the 20 laps to win by 2.591 seconds, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc finished second and third for Ferrari. George Russell crashed out after taking the lead at the start, and the two McLarens collided on the final lap.

Heavy rain delays the start before Russell crashes out of the lead

Rain before the race left standing water on parts of the circuit, delaying the Sprint from its scheduled start time of 17:00 Beijing time (UTC+8). The field left the grid behind the Safety Car at 17:30 in the same time zone and completed two formation laps before a standing start. All drivers used intermediate tyres, but conditions varied around the circuit, with standing water remaining in some places as other sections gradually dried.

Russell, starting second, passed Verstappen off the line, while Hamilton quickly rose from sixth to third. Russell subsequently lost control at the final corner and hit the wall, handing the lead back to Verstappen, with Hamilton and Leclerc moving up behind him. Race control deployed the Safety Car, interrupting the early battle.

After racing resumed, Verstappen retained first place and Hamilton continued to give chase. In F1’s official post-race interview, Leclerc said he had chosen a relatively aggressive balance setup, but its performance had deteriorated markedly as the surface dried. He nevertheless brought the car home in third.

McLaren loses points in collision as Antonelli extends his advantage

Piastri and Norris had been running close behind Leclerc before colliding on the final lap. Piastri stopped and retired, while Norris was able to continue and crossed the line in eighth. Antonelli avoided the incident and moved up to fourth, followed by Lawson, Bearman and Hülkenberg in fifth, sixth and seventh respectively.

Antonelli earned five points for fourth place, while Russell scored none after retiring. The gap between them in the drivers’ championship therefore increased from 84 to 89 points. McLaren took just one point, scored by Norris.

The race’s toll extended beyond the title contenders. Stroll and Pérez made contact, Hadjar and Colapinto suffered car problems, and Albon, Bortoleto and Bottas also failed to reach the finish. Several teams needed to inspect or repair their cars before the qualifying session that followed. Qualifying had been postponed to 21:30 Beijing time (UTC+8).

After the race, Verstappen still identified his starts as an area for improvement and made victory in Sunday’s Grand Prix his next target. The stewards determined that both McLaren drivers had contributed to their collision and that neither was wholly or predominantly to blame, so they took no further action. The explanation is covered in our review of the McLaren collision ruling.

Sprint results

The table gives the provisional Sprint results for all 22 drivers. The winner’s entry shows his total race time, while the others show a gap or retirement status. Piastri retired after completing 19 laps but was still classified 14th. Drivers who were not classified are not assigned a position.