---
title: "Singapore F1 Sprint preview: Verstappen on pole – how to watch in UK and US"
canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/10/singapore-f1-sprint-preview-start-time-how-to-watch/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Gary Gowers"
section: "F1 News"
published: "2026-10-10T08:08:38Z"
modified: "2026-10-10T08:08:38Z"
---

# Singapore F1 Sprint preview: Verstappen on pole – how to watch in UK and US

**Max Verstappen starts from pole position for Saturday’s Singapore Grand Prix Sprint after beating George Russell in qualifying at Marina Bay.**

The Red Bull driver was 0.120 seconds quicker than Russell in SQ3, with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris start fourth and fifth for McLaren, ahead of Lewis Hamilton.

Our [full Singapore Sprint Qualifying results](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/singapore-sprint-qualifying-results-verstappen-pole/) have the times from all three sessions, while we also picked out [five things we learned from Sprint Qualifying](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/singapore-gp-sprint-qualifying-verstappen-russell-five-things/).

## Verstappen has Russell alongside him

With only 21 laps, there will be little time for anyone starting further back to recover from a poor opening lap.

Verstappen was quickest in SQ1 before returning to the top of the times in SQ3. Russell starts alongside him, while Leclerc has both McLarens directly behind.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts seventh for Mercedes, alongside Liam Lawson on the fourth row. That gives Russell an opportunity to reduce the 84-point gap to his team-mate, as we covered in our [look at the F1 title race ahead of the Singapore Sprint](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/f1-2026-title-race-singapore-sprint-antonelli-russell/).

Overtaking around Marina Bay is not straightforward, so the start and any Safety Car periods could have a big say in the result.

The Sprint begins at 10am UK time and runs for 21 laps or a maximum of 60 minutes, with the full weekend schedule available from the [official Formula 1 website](https://www.formula1.com/).

## How to watch the Singapore F1 Sprint

| Location | Start time | TV / streaming |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **UK** | **10:00am BST** | Sky Sports F1 / Sky Sports Main Event; Sky Sports app or NOW |
| **US (ET)** | **5:00am ET** | Apple TV |
| **US (PT)** | **2:00am PT** | Apple TV |

[Sky Sports](https://www.skysports.com/f1) begins its coverage at 9am in the UK.

In the United States, Formula 1 is shown exclusively on [Apple TV](https://tv.apple.com/) under the five-year broadcast agreement which began this season.