Max Verstappen’s first Singapore Grand Prix victory, Kimi Antonelli’s growing championship advantage and Ferrari’s explanation for Lewis Hamilton’s costly strategy mistake dominated Formula 1 news on Sunday (11 October), as the championship completed its 17th round of the 2026 season.
Red Bull emerged from Marina Bay with another commanding performance, while Mercedes moved closer to securing the Drivers’ Championship. Ferrari demonstrated improved competitiveness but missed a double podium, and McLaren admitted that it had fallen behind its three principal rivals.
Here are the main developments from Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix and the latest reporting from GRANDE PRÊMIO.
Verstappen wins Singapore GP and completes dominant Red Bull weekend
Max Verstappen secured his first Singapore Grand Prix victory on his 250th Formula 1 start, converting pole position into a commanding win ahead of Charles Leclerc and Kimi Antonelli.
The Dutchman finished 7.335 seconds ahead of Leclerc, completing a weekend in which he also won Saturday’s sprint and claimed pole position for both races.
It was Verstappen’s second consecutive Grand Prix victory following his triumph at Sepang, strengthening the impression that Red Bull’s latest developments have transformed its competitiveness.
The complete race report, including the leading finishers and the retirements of Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto, is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO’s Singapore Grand Prix coverage.
Antonelli moves 102 points ahead as F1 title approaches
Kimi Antonelli finished third and extended his championship advantage over George Russell to 102 points, putting himself in a position to potentially secure his first world title at the United States Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver now has 340 points, compared with Russell’s 238. Lewis Hamilton remains third with 229, while Verstappen has climbed to fourth on 221.
Antonelli’s podium was particularly important because Russell could manage only ninth after starting near the back following power-unit penalties.
The Italian could mathematically become world champion in Austin, although he must leave the race with an advantage sufficient to cover all the points still available to his rivals.
See what Antonelli needs to win the 2026 F1 championship in Austin.
Ferrari reveals Hamilton missed pit entry during Virtual Safety Car
Ferrari team principal Frédéric Vasseur revealed that Lewis Hamilton missed an instruction to enter the pits during a Virtual Safety Car period, costing the team what he believed could have been a second- and third-place finish.
Hamilton had started third and remained in contention for the podium, but his race unravelled after Ferrari attempted to bring both cars into the pits.
The seven-time world champion subsequently apologised over the radio, accepting responsibility for the strategic decision that cost the team points. He eventually finished sixth, while Leclerc secured second.
Vasseur explained the incident in his account of Hamilton’s missed pit call and Ferrari’s Singapore strategy.
Hamilton receives medical attention after Singapore race
Hamilton’s difficult afternoon continued after the chequered flag when Ferrari confirmed that the British driver had felt unwell and received medical attention from the FIA.
The governing body excused Hamilton from his post-race media commitments following the assessment. Ferrari did not disclose the cause of his discomfort or provide further details about his condition in the initial statement.
Read Ferrari’s statement on Hamilton’s medical assessment.
Norris admits McLaren has fallen to fourth in F1’s competitive order
Lando Norris described McLaren as the fourth-fastest team in Formula 1, admitting that further upgrades would be necessary to close the gap to Red Bull, Ferrari and Mercedes.
The British driver finished fourth in Singapore, one position ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri, but both acknowledged that McLaren lacked the pace to challenge the leading cars consistently.
Norris also accepted responsibility for an unnecessary overtaking attempt on Hamilton that allowed Antonelli to gain an advantage during the closing stages.
With Red Bull now just 7 points behind McLaren in the Constructors’ Championship, the team faces growing pressure to defend third place.
Norris explained McLaren’s performance deficit and the need for further upgrades.
Alonso criticises Honda after difficult Aston Martin race
Fernando Alonso endured another frustrating Grand Prix, finishing 16th after experiencing energy deployment problems and poor turbo response with Aston Martin’s Honda power unit.
The Spaniard criticised the engine over the radio and subsequently explained that inconsistent electrical energy delivery had cost him positions throughout the race.
Alonso estimated that he had been losing between 200 and 300 metres on some straights and warned that similar problems could become significant at upcoming circuits.
Read Alonso’s criticism of Honda’s Singapore performance.
Lawson secures another seventh place as Racing Bulls decision approaches
Liam Lawson finished seventh for the second consecutive Grand Prix, following his result at Sepang with another competitive performance in Singapore.
The New Zealander explained that his soft-tyre start had been designed to attack Pierre Gasly into Turn 1. The strategy worked, helping him secure track position at a circuit where overtaking is difficult.
Lawson collected 10 points across the sprint and Grand Prix, further strengthening his case for a Racing Bulls seat in 2027.
Lawson revealed how he planned his opening-lap move in Singapore.
Red Bull’s resurgence surprises even its own team principal
Laurent Mekies acknowledged that Red Bull had not expected to dominate both Sepang and Singapore, two circuits with very different characteristics.
The team principal praised Verstappen’s performance and suggested that the combination of recent improvements and the driver’s execution had produced an exceptional sequence of results.
Red Bull has now established itself as the team to beat in the latest two Grands Prix, raising questions about whether its recovery has arrived too late to influence the Drivers’ Championship but soon enough to transform the Constructors’ Championship battle.
Mekies explained Red Bull’s surprise at Verstappen’s recent dominance.
Formula 1 returns for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of the Americas on October 23–25, where Antonelli could secure the championship and Verstappen will attempt to extend his winning streak. GRANDE PRÊMIO continues its Formula 1 coverage ahead of the next round.
