SINGAPORE — Red Bull driver Max Verstappen fended off an aggressive opening challenge to win the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, capturing his first career victory on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Verstappen, starting from his 50th career pole position in his 250th Formula 1 race, squeezed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc toward the pit wall heading into Turn One to maintain the lead, dpa international reported. The four-time world champion never surrendered control, claiming his 73rd grand prix win and completing a dominant weekend that included a sprint race victory on Saturday.
The result marked Verstappen’s second consecutive victory following a win in Malaysia, cementing Red Bull’s midseason resurgence. Leclerc finished second, ending more than seven seconds behind the Dutchman, according to race reports.
“I think the last few races have been really positive for us and it is just great to see and we have a lot of motivation in the team to try and deliver even more results,” Verstappen said, as reported by the BBC.
Championship within reach for Antonelli
Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli claimed third place after navigating late-race traffic, pushing him closer to his first world championship. Antonelli extended his standings lead over teammate George Russell to 102 points, the BBC reported. Russell rallied to ninth after starting 19th on the grid because of an engine penalty.
The points swing puts Antonelli in position to potentially clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 25. If the 20-year-old builds his margin to 125 points or wins while Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower, he would become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history, according to reports from BBC and dpa international.
“Can I? Really? Let’s not worry about that, let’s try to do the best weekend possible and finish the job,” Antonelli said when told of the championship scenario, according to the BBC.
Strategy miscue drops Hamilton to sixth
While Leclerc maintained strong pace to secure the runner-up spot, Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton endured a frustrating afternoon, finishing sixth after a gamble on tire strategy backfired.
Hamilton had started third on medium tires and pitted on lap 18 for soft tires, the BBC reported. When a virtual safety car was deployed around lap 39 after Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll stopped on track, front-runners including Leclerc and Antonelli pitted for fresh tires. Hamilton stayed out to take second place, but he was forced to attempt a grueling 44-lap stint on degrading rubber.
Leclerc easily swept past his teammate on lap 46, and Hamilton’s lap times steadily dropped. On lap 54, McLaren’s Lando Norris challenged Hamilton at Turn One, forcing the Ferrari off track and down the escape road, The Telegraph reported. Antonelli capitalized on the incident to pass Norris and then Hamilton on the same lap. Norris followed through shortly after, and McLaren teammate Oscar Piastri overtook Hamilton on the final lap to take fifth.
Hamilton apologized to Ferrari over the team radio on his cool-down lap, admitting that the decision to remain on track was his call, according to The Telegraph. Racing Bulls driver Liam Lawson took seventh, Audi’s Nico Hülkenberg finished eighth, and Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar earned the final point in 10th after starting from the pit lane.
Formula 1 next heads to Austin for the United States Grand Prix, where teams will see whether Antonelli can secure the championship or if Red Bull and Ferrari can delay the coronation.
