Max Verstappen Finally Conquers Singapore With Dominant Marina Bay Victory

After years of trying, Max Verstappen can finally add Singapore to his list of Formula 1 victories.

The Red Bull Racing driver completed a near-perfect 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend by winning Sunday’s 62-lap race from pole, adding to his victory in Singapore’s first-ever F1 Sprint a day earlier.

“It’s taken a while, but I think this race was very good,” said Verstappen. “We’re very happy to win here.”

Making his 250th Grand Prix start from his 50th career pole position, Verstappen held off Charles Leclerc into Turn 1 and never relinquished the lead, eventually crossing the line 7.335 seconds ahead of the Ferrari driver.

Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli completed the podium, almost 25 seconds behind.

Verstappen Controls It From The Front

With overtaking notoriously difficult around Marina Bay, the start was always going to be crucial. Verstappen made his count, keeping Leclerc behind into the opening corner before steadily building his advantage.

“Luckily it was just good enough,” Verstappen said of his getaway.

By quarter-distance, the gap had grown to around four seconds. Following the first round of pit stops, Verstappen’s advantage briefly stretched to almost 20 seconds.

A Virtual Safety Car just after the halfway point prompted differing tyre and pit strategies throughout the field, but did little to trouble the Red Bull out front. Leclerc continued to push, setting the race’s fastest lap of 1:35.202 on lap 41, but Verstappen remained comfortably in control.

Antonelli Completes The Podium

Behind the leading pair, Antonelli produced one of the race’s standout moves on lap 54, taking advantage of a battle between Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris to pass both. The Mercedes driver finished third despite receiving a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits, with his advantage over fourth-placed Norris sufficient to retain the podium.

Hamilton, meanwhile, was left regretting his decision not to make a second pit stop as his pace faded during the later stages.

Only three of the 22 starters failed to finish, with Gabriel Bortoleto retiring his Audi with gearbox trouble, Franco Colapinto stopping with a driveline issue and Lance Stroll suffering a clutch failure.

Singapore, Finally

Victory makes Verstappen the ninth different winner of the Singapore Grand Prix and marks the 73rd Grand Prix win of his Formula 1 career.

More importantly, it completed quite the turnaround at a circuit that had previously refused to yield a Verstappen victory. Across the weekend, the Dutchman claimed Sprint pole, won the Sprint, secured Grand Prix pole and then won the main event.

Marina Bay had been one of the few remaining blanks on Verstappen’s F1 résumé - after his 250th Grand Prix, it isn’t anymore.


Quotes and all photos courtesy of Singapore GP Pte Ltd

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