--- title: "Singapore GP preview: Verstappen faces Ferrari threat as Antonelli eyes title boost" canonical: "https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/11/singapore-gp-preview-verstappen-ferrari-antonelli/" type: "post" language: "en-GB" author: "Gary Gowers" section: "F1 News" published: "2026-10-11T07:19:27Z" modified: "2026-10-11T07:19:28Z" --- # Singapore GP preview: Verstappen faces Ferrari threat as Antonelli eyes title boost **Max Verstappen will start the Singapore Grand Prix from pole, with the two Ferraris well placed to make life difficult for him at Marina Bay.** Charles Leclerc lines up alongside the Red Bull, with Lewis Hamilton third and championship leader Kimi Antonelli fourth. Only 0.123secs separated Verstappen and the two Ferraris in qualifying, while Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri start fifth and sixth for McLaren. Antonelli also arrives on the grid with an 89-point championship lead, while nearest rival George Russell starts 21st after a power-unit penalty. ## Verstappen has Ferrari to contend with Verstappen’s Singapore weekend has continued the improvement Red Bull showed with victory at Sepang. After showing competitive pace on medium tyres during Friday practice, he took Sprint pole before [winning Saturday’s rain-hit race](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/10/verstappen-wins-singapore-sprint-russell-crash-hamilton/). It was his first victory of any kind at Marina Bay. He followed it by beating Leclerc to [Singapore Grand Prix pole](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/10/verstappen-leclerc-singapore-gp-pole-qualifying/) by just 0.054secs. Ferrari have been close enough all weekend to make Sunday interesting. Leclerc starts alongside Verstappen, and Hamilton is directly behind after setting the fastest times in both Q1 and Q2. The Brit was also only 2.591secs behind Verstappen at the end of the Sprint, having started sixth. That leaves Ferrari with two cars in useful positions. Track position is particularly valuable around Marina Bay, where overtaking is difficult, and the timing of pit stops or a Safety Car can change the shape of the race, arguably, more than overtaking. Verstappen is chasing his first victory in the Singapore Grand Prix itself. Saturday ended his wait for a win at Marina Bay; the main race has been absent from his long record of wins. Victory would also give him consecutive Grand Prix wins after his breakthrough at Sepang last weekend. ## Antonelli starts in a strong position Antonelli begins the Grand Prix with an 89-point advantage at the top of the standings after adding another five points in Saturday’s Sprint. It is another swing in a [championship fight which arrived in Singapore with Antonelli 84 points clear](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/f1-2026-title-race-singapore-sprint-antonelli-russell/). The Mercedes driver recovered from seventh to fourth in the wet Sprint before qualifying fourth again for Sunday’s race. He starts directly behind Hamilton and ahead of both McLarens. Russell, meanwhile, is 21st following his power-unit penalty. With six rounds remaining after Singapore, Antonelli does not need to take unnecessary risks. A strong finish from the second row would do enough damage on its own. ## Mercedes still has an upgrade question Mercedes’ split-spec experiment continues into race day. Russell has returned to the older aerodynamic package in Singapore while Antonelli has kept the upgrade introduced at Sepang. Formula 1’s [technical explanation of Mercedes’ decision](https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/why-splitting-car-specifications-is-a-no-brainer-for-mercedes-at-the-singapore-grand-prix.44OonD5CF8Eg4yQ2w5REwh) outlines why the team wanted a direct comparison rather than abandoning the new parts after one weekend. Friday initially favoured the older car. Mercedes topped [the only practice session](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/george-russell-leads-singapore-gp-practice-leclerc-verstappen/), while Antonelli then struggled to seventh in Sprint Qualifying. It was one of the main themes from the [five things we learned from Singapore Sprint Qualifying](https://readmotorsport.com/2026/10/09/singapore-gp-sprint-qualifying-verstappen-russell-five-things/). Saturday complicated the picture. Antonelli recovered to fourth in the Sprint and then qualified fourth for the Grand Prix, less than two tenths from Verstappen. A 62-lap race should tell Mercedes more about how the upgraded car behaves over a full stint, particularly on tyre degradation and sustained race pace. ## Can McLaren get involved? McLaren has been close to the front without yet looking capable of setting the pace in Singapore. Norris starts fifth and Piastri sixth. They were 0.339secs and 0.487secs respectively away from Verstappen in qualifying, leaving both behind Antonelli as well as the Ferraris. They are still close enough to become a factor on Sunday. Singapore rarely guarantees a straightforward race, and a Safety Car or an offset strategy could bring the third row into play. First, though, McLaren needs to stay with the four cars ahead. ## Singapore GP starting grid | Pos | Driver | Team | | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | | 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | | 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | | 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | | 6 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | | 7 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | | 8 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | | 9 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | | 10 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | | 11 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | | 12 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | | 13 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | | 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | | 15 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | | 16 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | | 17 | Alex Albon | Williams | | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | | 19 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | | 20 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | | 21 | George Russell | Mercedes | | 22 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull | The [official F1 Singapore Grand Prix page](https://www.formula1.com/en/racing/2026/singapore) carries the full weekend schedule and results. ## What time does the Singapore Grand Prix start? The Singapore Grand Prix starts at 20:00 local time on Sunday, which is 13:00 in the UK. The race is scheduled for 62 laps of the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Unlike yesterday’s rain-hit Sprint, dry conditions are expected for the Grand Prix, although Singapore’s heat and humidity will remain demanding for both drivers and cars. Verstappen has track position, but Ferrari has two cars close enough to put him under pressure. Antonelli starts fourth with both McLarens directly behind. Saturday gave Verstappen his first win at Marina Bay. Sunday is his chance to finally win the Singapore Grand Prix.