F1 Singapore GP: Verstappen wins chaotic wet sprint after Russell's crash

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLaren duo collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen ganó la carrera sprint del Gran Premio de Singapur desde la posición de pole después de que George Russell se accidentara al final de la primera vuelta. Una tormenta empapó la parrilla 15 minutos antes del inicio programado, mientras que algunas partes del circuito callejero de Marina Bay se mantuvieron secas. La carrera se retrasó media hora debido al agua estática en las curvas 2 y 3.

Cuando la sprint comenzó, seguía siendo una historia de dos mitades en condiciones de pista, y todos los autos comenzaron con neumáticos intermedios después de dos vueltas de formación. El piloto de la primera fila, Russell, tuvo una mucho mejor salida que Verstappen y tomó la liderato incluso antes de la curva 1, con Lewis Hamilton subiendo al tercer lugar desde el sexto en la parrilla. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson y Pierre Gasly le siguieron, con Isack Hadjar en el undécimo lugar.

La ventaja de Russell fue corta, ya que perdió el control de su W17 en el bordillo al salir de la última curva y giró chocar contra la pared interna al final de la primera vuelta. Mientras tanto, Lance Stroll y Sergio Perez chocaron en la curva 16, con el Aston Martin deteniéndose contra las barreras, y Hadjar se retiró después de informar “la frenado del motor está muriendo”. Se llamó al auto de seguridad, con la carrera neutralizada durante cinco vueltas – durante las cuales Arvid Lindblad giró, reingresando en el último lugar después de conducir en sentido contrario por la pista, y la carrera de Franco Colapinto terminó por un problema técnico.

Verstappen mantuvo la liderato al reinicio, mientras Oliver Bearman arrebató el octavo lugar a Gasly después de una acción rueda a ruela a lo largo del sector uno. El conductor de Alpine perdió otras dos posiciones en los siguientes dos vueltas; se quejó de ser empujado hacia afuera por Nico Hulkenberg, pero los comisarios no tomaron más medidas. La ventaja de Verstappen sobre Hamilton osciló entre 0.7s y 1.4s de la vuelta siete a la 11 antes del piloto de Red Bull alejarse significativamente, con su ventaja alcanzando tres segundos al final de la vuelta 13 y cinco segundos para la vuelta 16.

El compuesto intermedio sufría mucho en una pista mayormente seca, por lo que se trataba todo de gestión de neumáticos. Leclerc informó que sus neumáticos delanteros estaban “destruidos”; el piloto de Ferrari perdía dos segundos por vuelta a su compañero de equipo Hamilton y fue alcanzado por los McLarens y Antonelli con tres vueltas restantes. Pero Norris se metió por el interior de Piastri en la última vuelta y los McLarens colisionaron en un giro.

El campeón del mundo en título cayó así al octavo lugar, mientras su compañero australiano se retiró. Mientras tanto, Verstappen ganó con una ventaja reducida pero saludable de 2.6s segundos sobre Hamilton, mientras Leclerc completó el podio en tercer lugar. Antonelli heredó el cuarto lugar por delante de Lawson, Bearman y Hulkenberg, con Norris tomando la última posición de puntos.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.

Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race from pole position after George Russell crashed out at the end of the first lap. A downpour soaked the grid 15 minutes before the scheduled start, while some parts of the Marina Bay Street Circuit remained dry. The race was delayed by half an hour due to standing water in Turns 2 and 3.

By the time the sprint got under way, it still was a tale of two halves in terms of track conditions, and all cars started on intermediate tyres after two formation laps. Front-row starter Russell had a much better getaway than Verstappen and took the lead even before Turn 1, with Lewis Hamilton up to third from sixth on the grid. Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly followed, with Isack Hadjar down to 11th.

Russell’s lead was short-lived, as he lost control of his W17 on the kerb at the exit of the last corner and spun into the inside wall at the end of lap one. Meanwhile, Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at Turn 16, with the Aston Martin coming to a halt against the barriers, and Hadjar retired after reporting “the engine braking is dying”. The safety car was called into action, with the race neutralised for five laps – during which Arvid Lindblad spun, rejoining in last place after driving the wrong way down the track, and Franco Colapinto’s race ended because of a technical issue.

Verstappen maintained the lead at the restart, while Oliver Bearman snatched eighth place away from Gasly after wheel-to-wheel action throughout sector one. The Alpine driver lost another two positions over the following two laps; he complained of being pushed wide by Nico Hulkenberg, but the stewards took no further action. Verstappen’s gap to Hamilton hovered between 0.7s and 1.4s from lap seven to lap 11 before the Red Bull racer significantly pulled away, with his advantage reaching three seconds at the end of lap 13 and five seconds by lap 16.

The intermediate compound was greatly suffering on the mostly dry track, so it was all about tyre management. Leclerc reported his front tyres were “destroyed”; the Ferrari driver was losing two seconds a lap to team-mate Hamilton and was caught by the McLarens and Antonelli with three laps remaining. But Norris dove down the inside of Piastri on the final lap and the McLarens collided into a spin.

The reigning world champion consequently dropped to eighth, while his Australian team-mate retired. Meanwhile, Verstappen romped to victory with a reduced but healthy 2.6s-second lead over Hamilton, as Leclerc completed the podium in third. Antonelli inherited fourth ahead of Lawson, Bearman and Hulkenberg, with Norris taking the final points position.