News Summary
- The Singapore GP sprint starts at 17:00 local time on Saturday, October 10, equivalent to 10:00 BST in the UK and 05:00 ET in the US and Canada.
- Max Verstappen starts from pole, ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc, with Lando Norris fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth.
- The 21-lap sprint is available through Sky Sports F1 in the UK, Apple TV in the US, FanCode in India and Kayo in Australia, among other broadcasters.
The 2026 Singapore GP sprint takes place on Saturday, October 10, at 17:00 local time, with Max Verstappen starting from pole position after a chaotic qualifying session at Marina Bay.
The 21-lap race begins at 10:00 BST in the United Kingdom, 05:00 ET in the United States and Canada, and 14:30 IST in India. Australian viewers in Sydney and Melbourne can watch at 20:00 AEDT, while the start time in New Zealand is 22:00 NZDT.
Singapore hosts its first Formula 1 sprint in 2026, offering drivers an opportunity to score championship points before Saturday evening’s separate qualifying session determines the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
What time does the Singapore F1 sprint start?
| Country / region | Start time | Date |
|---|---|---|
| Singapore (SGT) | 17:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| United Kingdom / Ireland (BST) | 10:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| United States / Canada (ET) | 05:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| United States (PT) | 02:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| India (IST) | 14:30 | Saturday, October 10 |
| Australia — Sydney/Melbourne (AEDT) | 20:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| Australia — Perth (AWST) | 17:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
| New Zealand (NZDT) | 22:00 | Saturday, October 10 |
The sprint covers 21 laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with a maximum duration of 60 minutes under the regulations.
Where to watch the Singapore F1 sprint live
The Singapore sprint will be broadcast live through Formula 1’s official television and streaming partners.
| Country / region | TV and streaming |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom / Ireland | Sky Sports F1, Sky Go, NOW |
| United States | Apple TV |
| Canada | TSN, RDS |
| India | FanCode, TATA Play FanCode Sports |
| Australia | Fox Sports, Foxtel, Kayo Sports |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ |
F1 TV is also available in supported markets, subject to local broadcasting rights. In the UK, Channel 4 provides highlights rather than live sprint coverage.
Verstappen starts from pole as Russell chases victory
Verstappen secured sprint pole with a 1:31.156, beating Russell by just 0.120s and Leclerc by 0.243s.
The four-time world champion admitted that the result surprised him after Red Bull’s car came alive on soft tyres, extending the team’s recent improvement following its victory at Sepang.
Russell starts alongside Verstappen on the front row after qualifying second with Mercedes’ older aerodynamic specification. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified seventh with the updated W17, 0.573s behind his teammate.
Hamilton starts sixth after acknowledging that his decision to use a different SQ3 run plan had backfired, leaving Ferrari with Leclerc as its highest-placed driver.
Singapore GP 2026 sprint starting grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull Ford |
| 2 | G. RUSSELL | Mercedes |
| 3 | C. LECLERC | Ferrari |
| 4 | O. PIASTRI | McLaren |
| 5 | L. NORRIS | McLaren |
| 6 | L. HAMILTON | Ferrari |
| 7 | K. ANTONELLI | Mercedes |
| 8 | L. LAWSON | Racing Bulls |
| 9 | I. HADJAR | Red Bull Ford |
| 10 | P. GASLY | Alpine Mercedes |
| 11 | F. COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes |
| 12 | N. HÜLKENBERG | Audi |
| 13 | O. BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari |
| 14 | G. BORTOLETO | Audi |
| 15 | F. ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda |
| 16 | E. OCON | Haas Ferrari |
| 17 | A. LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls |
| 18 | L. STROLL | Aston Martin Honda |
| 19 | A. ALBON | Williams Mercedes |
| 20 | S. PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari |
| 21 | V. BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari |
| 22 | C. SAINZ | Williams Mercedes |
Qualifying order shown; the final starting grid remains subject to FIA decisions and any penalties.
How many points are available in the Singapore sprint?
The first eight finishers score points, with eight awarded to the winner, seven to second place and progressively fewer down to one point for eighth.
| Position | Points |
|---|---|
| 1st | 8 |
| 2nd | 7 |
| 3rd | 6 |
| 4th | 5 |
| 5th | 4 |
| 6th | 3 |
| 7th | 2 |
| 8th | 1 |
The sprint does not determine Sunday’s Grand Prix grid. A separate qualifying session takes place on Saturday at 21:00 Singapore time, equivalent to 14:00 BST and 09:00 ET.
The complete Singapore GP schedule, including sprint and broadcast information is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO‘s weekend guide. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
Singapore GP 2026: F1 schedule and start times
The 2026 Singapore GP takes place from October 9-11 at Marina Bay, featuring a sprint weekend with five Formula 1 sessions. See the start times for the United Kingdom, United States, Canada, India, Australia and New Zealand.
| Session | UK (BST) | US/Canada (ET) | India (IST) | Australia (AEDT) | New Zealand (NZDT) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Saturday, October 10 | |||||
| Sprint | 10:00 | 05:00 | 14:30 | 20:00 | 22:00 |
| Grand Prix qualifying | 14:00 | 09:00 | 18:30 | Sun 00:00 | Sun 02:00 |
| Sunday, October 11 | |||||
| Grand Prix | 13:00 | 08:00 | 17:30 | 23:00 | Mon 01:00 |
All times are local to each listed region. Australia refers to Sydney/Melbourne time (AEDT), New Zealand to Auckland/Wellington (NZDT), and ET to New York/Toronto. Dates are the same as Singapore unless otherwise indicated.
For additional details, see the complete Singapore GP schedule and how to watch. GRANDE PRÊMIO follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.
F1 today: FAQ
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.
What time is the Singapore F1 sprint on Saturday?
The sprint starts at 17:00 Singapore time on October 10, equivalent to 10:00 BST, 05:00 ET, 14:30 IST, 20:00 AEDT and 22:00 NZDT.
