Samwise F1 Newsletter
Sunday, October 11, 2026
Verstappen Beats the Ferraris to Pole for the Singapore Grand Prix
Max Verstappen will start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix from pole position after a first-run lap of 1m 31.373s that no rival could beat at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was 0.054s slower in second, with Lewis Hamilton third after topping Q1 and Q2 but failing to improve on his final lap. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes and Lando Norris fifth. Oscar Piastri recovered from his Sprint collision to take seventh, ahead of Pierre Gasly and the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad. The Race noted Verstappen could not improve on his final run, which left him vulnerable.
Sources: Formula1.com, The Race
Verstappen Wins Wet Singapore Sprint After Russell Crashes From the Lead
Max Verstappen won Saturday’s rain-hit Singapore Sprint by 2.6 seconds from Lewis Hamilton after George Russell crashed out of the lead at the final corner of the opening lap. Heavy rain delayed the formation lap by 30 minutes. Russell had passed pole-sitter Verstappen at Turn 1 before touching the white line on exit and spinning into the pit wall barrier. The race resumed on lap 7 of 20, and Verstappen pulled clear on intermediate tyres. Charles Leclerc finished third, ahead of Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hulkenberg. Verstappen said afterwards that he wants to win the Grand Prix itself on Sunday.
Stewards Take No Action Over Norris and Piastri Sprint Collision
The Singapore stewards took no action against Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri after the McLaren team-mates collided at Turn 5 on the final lap of Saturday’s Sprint. Norris dived down the inside while the pair ran fourth and fifth behind Charles Leclerc. Contact at the apex spun both cars, sending Piastri into the barrier and out of the race, while Norris continued to finish eighth. The stewards ruled both drivers contributed and that neither was wholly or predominantly to blame. They also found Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas deserved five-second penalties for separate collisions, but none were applied because both had retired.
Stella Calls McLaren Team-Mate Clash Serious and Not Acceptable
McLaren team principal Andrea Stella called the Sprint collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri “serious” and “absolutely not acceptable,” saying the damage to the team was material. RACER reported the clash turned a potential nine-point haul into one, cutting McLaren’s advantage over Red Bull in the constructors’ standings to 11 points. Stella said McLaren aims to challenge Ferrari for second and finish ahead of Red Bull, and that the team must reflect on how to stop such incidents happening again. He said he is not seeking apologies from either driver. Norris and Piastri start fifth and sixth on Sunday.
Antonelli Extends Championship Lead to 89 Points After Singapore Sprint
Kimi Antonelli extended his drivers’ championship lead to 89 points over Mercedes team-mate George Russell after Saturday’s Singapore Sprint, with 17 of 23 races complete. Antonelli finished fourth in the Sprint despite what he called “so much understeer” in the upgraded Mercedes, while Russell crashed out. Antonelli now has 325 points to Russell’s 236, with Lewis Hamilton third on 221. The Race reported that set-up changes after the Sprint cut Antonelli’s gap to pole from seven tenths on Friday to two tenths on Saturday, and he qualified fourth. He wants both Mercedes drivers on the new package at the next race in Austin.
Russell Admits Silly Mistake and Starts Singapore Grand Prix From 21st
George Russell will start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix 21st after a 40-place grid penalty for new power unit components, an engine change triggered by the failure that put him out of last week’s race in Malaysia. Russell, who crashed from the lead of Saturday’s Sprint, called it “a very, very silly mistake” and “overly confident,” explaining he got more battery power than expected, went wide and touched the white line. He said it was his first crash of the year. Russell told RaceFans his car did not feel the same in qualifying after the crash, and he hopes to reach seventh or sixth on Sunday.
Hamilton Says Late Front Wing Change Cost Him a Shot at Pole
Lewis Hamilton said a last-minute front wing change spoiled his Ferrari’s balance and cost him a shot at Singapore pole. Hamilton was fastest in Q1 and Q2 but qualified third, 0.123s behind Max Verstappen. He told RaceFans he added wing, “only like one hole,” to extract more pace, which “tipped it over the edge” and left the car “snappy” in Q3. The Race reported that Hamilton’s theoretical best Q3 lap was quicker than Verstappen’s pole time. Hamilton said it will be very hard to beat Verstappen on Sunday but hopes he and Charles Leclerc can work together to try and apply the pressure.
Timing Data Error Spares Hulkenberg a Grid Drop for Impeding Sainz
Nico Hulkenberg kept his 10th-place starting position for the Singapore Grand Prix despite the stewards ruling he “unnecessarily impeded” Carlos Sainz in qualifying. The Audi driver was on a cool-down lap on the racing line into Turn 5 while Sainz was on his final Q2 push lap. Audi told stewards that timing data from the official timekeeping provider showed Sainz had already taken the chequered flag, and Williams had formed the same belief. The stewards cited “extraordinary mitigating circumstances” because the data was briefly inconsistent. Sainz abandoned the lap and was eliminated in 14th. Williams boss James Vowles said the team must tighten up its process.
Verstappen Says F1 Should Not Hold Sprints Where Drivers Cannot Pass
Max Verstappen criticised Formula 1’s decision to stage a Sprint in Singapore, despite winning the first Sprint held at Marina Bay. “We shouldn’t host a sprint where you can’t pass,” the Red Bull driver said. RaceFans noted F1 will increase sprint races from six to ten next year, including at circuits such as Monaco where overtaking is difficult. Verstappen said Overtake Mode “barely does anything here” under the current power unit rules. He called the track great but said it needs a longer straight or a proper hairpin, plus a bigger speed delta on the straights, to help overtaking. Team-mate Isack Hadjar also criticised the decision to add more sprints.
Hadjar Starts Last in Singapore After Red Bull Reliability Failures
Isack Hadjar will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the back of the grid after reliability problems wrecked his Saturday. The Red Bull driver retired from the Sprint after radioing that his “engine braking is dying,” then failed to set a representative time in qualifying. Formula1.com reported Hadjar said his engine had switched off during Q1, while The Race said a gearbox issue “broke the fourth gear.” He ended the session last but was given permission to start by the stewards. Hadjar said he was left “pissed off” and remarked that he “could’ve stayed back in Paris and it would’ve been the same.”
Aston Martin to Change Alonso’s Power Unit After Double Q1 Exit
Aston Martin will change the power unit on Fernando Alonso’s car for the Singapore Grand Prix, which The Race reported should drop him to the back of the grid alongside George Russell and Isack Hadjar, although the FIA had yet to confirm any penalty. Alonso was eliminated in Q1 after a turbo issue worsened throughout Saturday, causing a loss of power on corner exits. Team-mate Lance Stroll also went out in Q1 after a lockup and traffic, and said the bumpy Marina Bay circuit does not suit the team’s current package. The Race said the outcome was a far cry from the team’s pre-event aspirations of another potential points haul.
17 of 23 races complete — After the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint
Drivers’ Championship
| Pos | Driver | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kimi Antonelli | 325 |
| 2 | George Russell | 236 |
| 3 | Lewis Hamilton | 221 |
| 4 | Charles Leclerc | 197 |
| 5 | Max Verstappen | 196 |
| 6 | Lando Norris | 189 |
| 7 | Oscar Piastri | 128 |
| 8 | Isack Hadjar | 96 |
| 9 | Liam Lawson | 69 |
| 10 | Pierre Gasly | 41 |
| 11 | Arvid Lindblad | 38 |
| 12 | Franco Colapinto | 27 |
| 13 | Oliver Bearman | 23 |
| 14 | Gabriel Bortoleto | 10 |
| 15 | Nico Hulkenberg | 9 |
| 16 | Esteban Ocon | 7 |
| 17 | Fernando Alonso | 7 |
| 18 | Carlos Sainz | 7 |
| 19 | Alexander Albon | 5 |
| 20 | Yuki Tsunoda | 1 |
| 21 | Lance Stroll | 0 |
| 22 | Valtteri Bottas | 0 |
| 23 | Sergio Perez | 0 |
Constructors’ Championship
| Pos | Constructor | Pts |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mercedes | 561 |
| 2 | Ferrari | 418 |
| 3 | McLaren | 317 |
| 4 | Red Bull | 306 |
| 5 | Racing Bulls | 94 |
| 6 | Alpine | 68 |
| 7 | Haas | 30 |
| 8 | Audi | 19 |
| 9 | Williams | 12 |
| 10 | Aston Martin | 7 |
| 11 | Cadillac | 0 |
Every newsletter preserved and searchable
Curated by JD · samwise.agency