Max Verstappen won the Singapore Sprint after a rain-delayed start, George Russell’s early retirement, and a collision between the McLarens that changed the points distribution on the final lap. Lewis Hamilton finished second, 2.591 seconds behind, and Charles Leclerc completed the top three.
The result made for a difficult Saturday for Sergio Pérez: his Cadillac and Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin made contact during the first lap, and both retired. This was a separate session from qualifying for the Grand Prix, which took place afterward.
Rain changed the start and grip
The race began approximately half an hour later than scheduled. The downpour had left the first and third sectors especially wet, while conditions in the middle section were different. Everyone started on intermediate tires.
Russell overtook Verstappen at the start and took the lead, but crashed at the final corner of the first lap. The Briton thus lost the chance to turn that start into points and handed the lead back to the Dutchman.
After the restart, Verstappen held first place as the track dried. Hamilton also made the most of the start: he went from sixth to third and moved up to second after Russell’s crash. The Ferrari driver held on to that position through the checkered flag.
The incident that changed the finish
Leclerc was approaching the finish on worn intermediate tires, with both McLarens closing in. On the final lap, Norris and Piastri arrived at turn five together, made contact, and spun. The collision opened up positions for those behind them.
Antonelli crossed the line fourth, followed by Lawson, Bearman, and Hülkenberg. Norris managed to continue and finished eighth, enough to score the last point available. Piastri was classified 14th, one lap down, after stopping. It was not an identical double retirement for McLaren: the difference between the two results matters when reviewing the standings.
The eight points-paying positions went to Verstappen, Hamilton, Leclerc, Antonelli, Lawson, Bearman, Hülkenberg, and Norris. The winner scored eight points; the tally decreased to one point for eighth place.
What it means for the rest of the weekend
In addition to Pérez, Stroll, and Russell, there were other retirements, including those of Albon, Bortoleto, and Bottas after an incident involving their three cars. The number of retirements explains some of the position changes, although every driver who made it to the finish also had to manage a surface that changed during the event.
The Sprint ended after 20 laps. Its outcome does not by itself determine Sunday’s starting order: that is decided by Grand Prix qualifying. To follow the main race from Mexico, it starts on October 11 at 06:00 Mexico City time. Saturday’s rain also does not guarantee that conditions will be the same on Sunday.
