Max Verstappen finally conquered Singapore on Sunday, October 11, winning at Marina Bay for the first time in his Formula 1 career.
The Red Bull driver led from start to finish to claim his 73rd Grand Prix victory on his 250th race start, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 7.335 seconds. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third, further strengthening his position at the top of the drivers’ championship.
The result also lifted Verstappen to fourth in the championship standings, with 221 points, eight behind third-placed Lewis Hamilton. The seven-time world champion endured a frustrating afternoon, finishing sixth after struggling on his tyres and losing ground during a strategy that left him vulnerable in the closing laps.
Lando Norris finished fourth for McLaren, ahead of teammate Oscar Piastri in fifth, while Liam Lawson and Nico Hulkenberg collected seventh and eighth for Racing Bulls and Audi respectively.
But the biggest championship implications belonged to Antonelli. The 20-year-old Italian climbed from fourth on the grid to third, taking advantage of the battle ahead to secure his 14th podium of the season.
With eight wins already this year, Antonelli has built a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who finished ninth after starting from the back of the grid.
Antonelli could mathematically seal his first world title at the next round in Austin, although doing so will require a substantial points swing.
With six rounds remaining after Singapore, he leads Russell by 102 points and must leave the United States Grand Prix at least 125 points clear to clinch the championship, meaning he needs to extend his advantage by at least 23 points in Austin. It is a difficult target, but the possibility is now real for a driver enjoying a remarkable second season in Formula 1.
Antonelli is now on the verge of joining an exclusive group of drivers to win the Formula 1 world championship in only their second season. The last to achieve that feat was Lewis Hamilton, who came within one point of the title in his 2007 rookie campaign before winning it with McLaren in 2008.
