As Russell crashes out and McLaren pair collide
Max Verstappen claimed victory in a dramatic, rain-affected Sprint at the 2026 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, as Mercedes’ George Russell crashed out of the lead on the opening lap and a late collision between McLaren team-mates Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris reshuffled the order.
The Red Bull driver crossed the line 2.591 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium despite struggling with deteriorating intermediate tyres in the closing stages. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli finished fourth for Mercedes.
Heavy rain swept across the Marina Bay Street Circuit shortly before the scheduled start, leaving standing water at Turns 2 and 3 and forcing a 30-minute delay. With conditions varying considerably between sectors, the field completed two formation laps before starting the 20-lap contest on intermediate tyres.
When racing began, Russell made a stronger getaway than polesitter Verstappen and seized the lead into Turn 1. Hamilton also enjoyed an excellent start, climbing from sixth to third ahead of Leclerc, Piastri and Norris.
However, Russell’s advantage disappeared at the end of the opening lap when the Mercedes driver lost control over the kerb exiting the final corner and crashed into the inside barrier.
Verstappen inherited the lead, while further incidents added to the opening-lap drama. Lance Stroll and Sergio Pérez collided at Turn 16, eliminating both drivers, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar retired after reporting an engine-braking problem.
The Safety Car was deployed as marshals recovered the stranded cars. During the neutralisation, Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad spun before rejoining at the back, while Alpine’s Franco Colapinto retired with a technical problem.
Racing resumed after five laps behind the Safety Car, with Verstappen controlling the restart ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc. Behind them, Haas driver Oliver Bearman overtook Pierre Gasly following a prolonged wheel-to-wheel battle through the opening sector.
Gasly subsequently lost further ground, including a position to Nico Hülkenberg. The Alpine driver complained that the Audi had forced him wide, but the stewards decided no further investigation was necessary.
At the front, Hamilton initially remained within striking distance of Verstappen, the gap fluctuating between seven tenths and 1.4 seconds through lap 11.
However, as the circuit continued to dry, managing the increasingly worn intermediate tyres became crucial. Verstappen gradually extended his advantage, opening a three-second margin by lap 13 and stretching it to five seconds three laps later.
Leclerc, meanwhile, struggled increasingly with front-tyre degradation and came under pressure from the McLarens and Antonelli. With three laps remaining, Piastri and Norris had closed onto the Ferrari’s tail, setting up a tense conclusion.
On the final lap, Norris attempted to pass Piastri at Turn 5, but the McLaren pair made contact and spun. Norris dropped to eighth, while Piastri failed to complete the final lap, although he was classified 14th. Their collision allowed Antonelli to secure fourth ahead of Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson, Bearman and Hülkenberg.
Verstappen, meanwhile, maintained control to take the chequered flag ahead of Hamilton, with Leclerc holding on to third by just 0.367 seconds from Antonelli.
Gasly and Esteban Ocon completed the top 10, followed by Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz and Lindblad.
Alexander Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Valtteri Bottas also retired following a three-car collision, bringing the total number of retirements to eight in an incident-filled Singapore Sprint.
2026 FIA Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix – Sprint
1 Max Verstappen Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 20 -
2 Lewis Hamilton Ferrari 20 2.591
3 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 20 16.871
4 Kimi Antonelli Mercedes 20 17.238
5 Liam Lawson Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 20 20.632
6 Oliver Bearman Haas/Ferrari 20 24.321
7 Nico Hülkenberg Audi 20 27.525
8 Lando Norris McLaren/Mercedes 20 28.272
9 Pierre Gasly Alpine/Mercedes 20 36.220
10 Esteban Ocon Haas/Ferrari 20 37.640
11 Fernando Alonso Aston Martin/Honda 20 50.464
12 Carlos Sainz Williams/Mercedes 20 52.467
13 Arvid Lindblad Racing Bulls/Red Bull Ford 20 55.792
14 Oscar Piastri McLaren/Mercedes 19 - 1 lap
Alexander Albon Williams/Mercedes 14 – Retirement
Gabriel Bortoleto Audi 6 – Retirement
Valtteri Bottas Cadillac/Ferrari 6 – Retirement
Isack Hadjar Red Bull/Red Bull Ford 2 – Retirement
Franco Colapinto Alpine/Mercedes 2 – Retirement
George Russell Mercedes 1 – Retirement
Sergio Pérez Cadillac/Ferrari 1 – Retirement
Lance Stroll Aston Martin/Honda 0 – Retirement
