For the first time in his career, Max Verstappen has conquered the streets of Singapore, converting a fierce start-line defense into a commanding and unchallenged grand prix victory according to BBC Sport.
According to BBC Sport, Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured his second dominant win in a week on 11 October 2026, successfully fighting off an early attack from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc at Turn One. Having also triumphed in Malaysia and claimed Saturday's sprint race in Singapore, the victory confirms Red Bull's re-emergence as a major force this season.
BBC Sport reported that Charles Leclerc finished second, while his teammate Lewis Hamilton slipped to sixth place after a baffling strategy from his team that saw him attempt to run soft tyres for a mammoth 44 laps. Hamilton ultimately lost positions in the closing laps to Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Background
According to BBC Sport, Verstappen recognised the critical importance of claiming the first corner due to the notorious difficulty of overtaking on the Singapore circuit. When Leclerc challenged down the inside off the line, Verstappen squeezed him tight toward the pit wall, forcing the Ferrari driver to eventually back off. After running nose-to-tail for the opening four laps, Verstappen began to edge away from both Leclerc and Hamilton by lap five, building an insurmountable lead that lasted the entire race.
Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli's third-place finish—combined with teammate George Russell fighting from 19th up to ninth—extended the Italian driver's championship lead to 102 points, as reported by BBC Sport.
What's next
According to BBC Sport, Kimi Antonelli has the opportunity to clinch his first world title at the upcoming United States Grand Prix on 25 October. To secure the championship in Austin, Antonelli must win the race and establish a lead of at least 125 points over the rest of the field before leaving the venue.