Max Verstappen won a rain-hit Singapore Grand Prix Sprint ahead of Lewis Hamilton after George Russell crashed out having taken the lead on the opening lap.
Heavy rain shortly before the scheduled start left standing water around Marina Bay and delayed proceedings by around half an hour. After two formation laps behind the Safety Car, the field eventually took the start on intermediate tyres.
Russell made the better getaway from second and passed polesitter Verstappen, but his race unravelled almost immediately. The Mercedes driver lost control at the final corner and crashed, handing the lead back to Verstappen and bringing out the Safety Car.
Verstappen controlled the race from there, although Hamilton closed during the later stages as the circuit dried. The Ferrari driver finished 2.591secs behind, with Charles Leclerc completing the podium.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli recovered from seventh on the grid to finish fourth, limiting the consequences of a difficult qualifying session and taking advantage of Russell’s retirement.
Singapore GP Sprint results
| Pos | Driver | Team | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | Winner |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | +2.591 |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | +16.871 |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | +17.238 |
| 5 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | +20.632 |
| 6 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | +24.321 |
| 7 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | +27.525 |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren | +28.272 |
| 9 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | +36.220 |
| 10 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | +37.640 |
| 11 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | +50.464 |
| 12 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | +52.467 |
| 13 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | +55.792 |
| DNF | George Russell | Mercedes | — |
| DNF | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | — |
| DNF | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | — |
| DNF | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | — |
| DNF | Alex Albon | Williams | — |
| DNF | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | — |
| DNF | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | — |
| DNF | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | — |
| NC | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 19 laps |
Hamilton keeps Verstappen under pressure
Verstappen had started from pole after beating Russell by 0.120secs in Friday’s Sprint Qualifying, but the wet conditions changed the picture considerably.
Russell initially appeared best placed to capitalise. His launch took him ahead of Verstappen, only for his mistake later on the opening lap to remove Mercedes’ strongest challenger.
Hamilton instead emerged as Verstappen’s main threat. Having started sixth, he moved through to second and reduced the gap as conditions improved, but Verstappen retained enough of an advantage to secure the victory by 2.591secs.
Leclerc finished a further 14 seconds behind his team-mate in third, giving Ferrari two cars on the podium.
The result continues Verstappen’s improved run after his Grand Prix victory at Sepang last weekend. Red Bull’s pace had already been apparent on Friday, when Verstappen qualified on Sprint pole after running sixth on medium tyres in the weekend’s only practice session.
Russell misses chance to cut Antonelli’s lead
Russell’s retirement was particularly costly in the context of the championship.
He entered Singapore 84 points behind Antonelli and had given himself a chance to reduce that deficit by qualifying second while his team-mate managed only seventh.
Instead, Antonelli recovered to fourth and scored five points while Russell left the Sprint empty-handed.
It is another setback for Russell after his engine failure while running third at Sepang. His prospects for Sunday’s Grand Prix are also complicated by the power-unit changes made after that retirement, which mean he is due to start from the back of the grid.
Antonelli therefore leaves the Sprint with his championship position strengthened despite starting five places behind Russell.
Lawson leads midfield scorers
Behind the leading four, Liam Lawson converted eighth on the grid into fifth for Racing Bulls. Oliver Bearman climbed from 13th to sixth for Haas, while Nico Hulkenberg also made substantial progress from 12th to seventh for Audi.
Lando Norris claimed the final point in eighth after starting fifth, with Pierre Gasly and Esteban Ocon completing the top 10. Oscar Piastri was classified as a non-finisher after completing 19 laps, while Russell, Isack Hadjar, Franco Colapinto, Gabriel Bortoleto, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Perez were also listed among the non-finishers.
Only 13 drivers reached the classified finishing positions in a Sprint shaped by the wet start and a high number of incidents. For Verstappen, it is another victory after his breakthrough at Sepang and comes less than 24 hours after taking Sprint pole at Marina Bay.
Russell, meanwhile, must turn his attention to Grand Prix qualifying after a Sprint that turned from a chance to reduce Antonelli’s championship lead into another costly retirement.
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