Red Bull’s Max Verstappen wins first-ever sprint race at F1 Singapore Grand Prix

SINGAPORE – Max Verstappen of Red Bull claimed victory in the sprint at the Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix on Oct 10, ahead of Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.

Under hazy skies and rain at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the Red Bull driver, who started on pole, crossed the line first to claim the maximum eight points in the 20-lap event, securing the win in the sixth and final sprint race of the 2026 season.

Of the earlier five sprint races, Mercedes’ George Russell emerged victorious in three of them in China, Canada and the Netherlands. The other two in Silverstone and Miami were won by Kimi Antonelli and Lando Norris respectively.

But Russell could not manage a fourth sprint victory in Singapore, crashing out in the second lap after overtaking pole sitter Max Verstappen at the start.

A heavy downpour delayed the start of the race by over 30 minutes, and all the drivers started the session on intermediate tyres.

After Russell’s crash, a four-lap safety car period ensued, during which Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, Isack Hadjar and Franco Colapinto also retired.

Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto and Alex Albon also did not complete the race after Albon’s Williams made contact with the back of Bortoleto’s Audi.

This is the first time Singapore has hosted a sprint weekend since the inaugural grand prix in 2008.

Sprint races, which cover 100km, were introduced to F1 in 2021, as part of a move to add variety and excitement to the race weekends.

The 2027 Singapore GP will not feature a sprint race, as it was not included among the 10 sprint events on the calendar.

Laura Chia is a journalist covering breaking news and current affairs, with an interest in sports.