Red Bull’s Max Verstappen delivered a commanding drive to claim his first victory at the Singapore Grand Prix according to Reuters with the Dutchman starting from pole and controlling the 62-lap race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. He fended off an initial challenge from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc into the first corner and maintained the lead throughout despite radio problems that forced the team to communicate via pit board. The result marked Verstappen’s second successive grand prix win after his success in Malaysia the weekend before and his 73rd career triumph on his 250th Formula One start a milestone highlighted in reports from BBC Sport.
Kimi Antonelli finished third for Mercedes some 24.573 seconds behind the winner Reuters data shows extending his championship lead over teammate George Russell to 102 points with the Italian now able to mathematically secure the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. Official Formula One standings place Antonelli on 340 points compared with Russell on 238 while Verstappen’s result lifted him past Leclerc into fourth position overall. The podium finish arrived after a strong recovery in the closing stages for the Mercedes driver as others encountered difficulties.
Charles Leclerc took second place for Ferrari crossing the line 7.335 seconds behind Verstappen in a race where the Italian squad encountered strategy complications with its other car. Lewis Hamilton who started third for Ferrari finished sixth after electing to stay out on soft tyres for an extended stint a decision that dropped him behind Antonelli as well as the McLaren duo of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri according to a Sky Sports assessment. Hamilton later apologised for his role in the confusing calls that affected the team’s afternoon.
McLaren secured fourth and fifth positions with Norris ahead of Piastri as the team recovered from a collision between the pair in the preceding sprint race. Further back Isack Hadjar claimed the final point in 10th for Red Bull after starting from the rear of the grid while George Russell recovered from 19th on the grid to ninth. The race saw three retirements due to reliability issues affecting Gabriel Bortoleto for Audi Franco Colapinto for Alpine and Lance Stroll for Aston Martin a BBC Sport report noted.
Verstappen who had previously finished second in Singapore in each of the prior two seasons described the breakthrough as rewarding after a weekend that also included sprint victory. “It’s taken a while but I think this race was very good. We had pace when we needed to have it on the soft tyre even though I think the medium tyre for everyone was more of a struggle. But it worked out so of course very happy to win here. The last two races have been really positive for us and it’s just great to see” he said in comments carried by Reuters. The performance confirmed Red Bull’s resurgence as a frontrunning force in recent events.
The result leaves Mercedes atop the constructors’ championship with 578 points ahead of Ferrari on 444 while Red Bull narrowed the gap to McLaren in the battle for third place to seven points an update from The Athletic showed. With five rounds remaining after the Singapore weekend the focus now shifts to the United States Grand Prix where Antonelli will have his first opportunity to clinch the drivers’ crown. Formula One’s official site indicated the championship battle has tightened at the front even as Verstappen and Red Bull have gathered momentum late in the season.
