Verstappen seals Marina Bay double as Hamilton's strategy hands Antonelli title shot

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time on Sunday, converting pole position into a dominant victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit to complete a sprint-and-race double. Charles Leclerc finished second for Ferrari, with Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli claiming third after a strategy error left Lewis Hamilton stranded in the midfield.

Leclerc produced the cleaner getaway from the front row at lights out but Verstappen held him off through Turn 1 and never relinquished the lead. The Monegasque remained within striking distance until a virtual safety car — triggered by Gabriel Bortoleto stopping on the start/finish straight with a suspected gearbox issue — disrupted the early rhythm without prompting any pit activity, as the stricken Audi threatened to block the pitlane exit.

By lap 11 Hamilton, who had started on the medium compound unlike the soft-shod drivers around him, was already three seconds behind Leclerc. Verstappen’s pace advantage over the Ferrari became decisive from lap 11 onwards, with Leclerc consistently half a second slower per tour. Hamilton pitted first on lap 18, switching to softs, but the timing left him vulnerable.

Antonelli moved from softs to mediums on lap 23; Leclerc followed a lap later and rejoined fractionally ahead of his Ferrari team-mate, a situation that prompted repeated complaints from Antonelli over the radio. Verstappen pitted safely into the lead shortly after, and by lap 35 held a five-second cushion over Leclerc, with Hamilton seven seconds further back and Antonelli 11 seconds adrift.

A second virtual safety car on lap 39 — caused by Lance Stroll pulling over with a suspected clutch problem — proved pivotal. Leclerc and Antonelli used the window to switch back to fresh tyres, but Ferrari did not bring Hamilton in, a call that effectively ended his podium hopes and handed Antonelli an uncontested third place.

The result extends Antonelli’s championship lead to a margin that gives him his first opportunity to clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin. His Mercedes team-mate George Russell, starting 19th, recovered to ninth but could not mount a meaningful challenge at the front.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri completed the top six for McLaren, more than 20 seconds off the pace of Verstappen, who added the full-distance Singapore win to his sprint victory on Saturday.