Ferrari turns dramatic Singapore Sprint into double podium with Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc

Charles Leclerc, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari 2026 F1, sidepods

Max Verstappen won the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix Sprint ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, with Ferrari securing a valuable double podium after a chaotic 21-lap race at Marina Bay. Hamilton made an exceptional start from sixth to third before moving into second following George Russell’s retirement, while Leclerc completed the podium in third.

The Singapore Sprint was the final Sprint event of the current Formula 1 season and took place in difficult conditions after heavy rain fell before the start. Verstappen had entered the race as the leading favourite on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult, but George Russell and Ferrari immediately emerged as serious threats. The unusual conditions added another variable to a weekend in which Ferrari already faced the challenge of the Singapore Sprint format at Marina Bay.

Wet conditions force the entire field onto intermediates

The race began with an air temperature of 31°C, while the track temperature stood at 47°C. Humidity was measured at 69%, with a southerly wind of 1.7 metres per second. Pirelli had selected the C3 Hard, C4 Medium and C5 Soft compounds for the Singapore weekend.

However, the rainfall before the start made the dry-weather compounds irrelevant for the opening phase. With the race scheduled over 21 laps and the circuit still wet, every driver started on intermediate tyres.

The Sprint represented a key part of Singapore’s first Formula 1 weekend using the shortened format, with the complete timetable available in the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix schedule.

Lewis Hamilton surges from sixth to third at the start

When the lights went out, Lewis Hamilton produced an excellent launch and climbed immediately from sixth to third. At the front, George Russell passed Max Verstappen to take the lead, while Charles Leclerc settled into fourth position.

Behind them, the early order featured Oscar Piastri in fifth, followed by Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Pierre Gasly and Isack Hadjar completing the top ten. Hamilton’s rapid progress was particularly important for Ferrari, transforming his race from a third-row start into an immediate fight at the front. His lap-by-lap movement and the changing running order can be explored through the F1 Race Position & Progression Tracker.

George Russell crashes and triggers the Safety Car

The complexion of the race changed dramatically when George Russell made a major mistake at the final corner and hit the wall, bringing the Mercedes driver’s Sprint to an immediate end. The Safety Car was deployed, with the field directed through the pit lane while marshals removed the stationary W17 from the beginning of the start-finish straight.

Lance Stroll had already parked his Aston Martin after contact caused by Sergio Pérez’s Cadillac, leaving both drivers out of the race. Further problems followed even under Safety Car conditions, as Franco Colapinto’s Alpine stopped, while Arvid Lindblad spun before managing to continue.

Verstappen leads Ferrari pair at the restart

Racing resumed on Lap 7 with Max Verstappen leading Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris, Kimi Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman, Pierre Gasly and Nico Hülkenberg.

More contact followed further down the order. Valtteri Bottas made contact with Alexander Albon, who in turn hit Gabriel Bortoleto. The Cadillac and Audi came off worst from the incident and were forced to retire.

Race Control meanwhile noted a possible infringement involving Lewis Hamilton under yellow-flag conditions. No immediate decision was announced. By Lap 10, Max Verstappen remained in control but had not yet established a substantial advantage over the two Ferraris, which were running just over a second behind.

Ferrari struggles as Marina Bay slowly dries

The track dried extremely slowly, and by Lap 11 a switch to slick tyres was still not under consideration. Max Verstappen began attempting to establish a safer margin at the front and, by Lap 13, had stretched his advantage over Lewis Hamilton to three seconds.

As conditions gradually improved, however, the two Ferrari SF-26 cars began to struggle. Ferrari found it difficult to bring the tyres into the correct operating window on a circuit that was becoming faster with every lap. Verstappen consequently moved clear, while Hamilton controlled the gap to Charles Leclerc behind him.

For a period, the positions became relatively settled. Lando Norris was the main driver keeping pressure on the cars ahead as he attempted to challenge McLaren team-mate Oscar Piastri, although without making a decisive move initially.

Hamilton sets fastest lap as Leclerc comes under pressure

With three laps remaining, Lewis Hamilton’s number 44 Ferrari began to recover some performance. Charles Leclerc, by contrast, was struggling with his front tyres and started losing ground to his team-mate.

The Monegasque’s difficulties became increasingly severe as his lap times dropped, allowing the two McLarens to close with two laps remaining. Hamilton, meanwhile, set the fastest lap of the race but remained 3.5 seconds behind Max Verstappen.

There was also positive news for the Briton regarding the earlier Race Control investigation. The yellow-flag matter was closed with no further action against the Ferrari driver. Fans can follow further Lewis Hamilton Ferrari news and race updates throughout the Singapore weekend.

McLaren clash hands Ferrari a double Singapore Sprint podium

The closing stages produced one final dramatic twist. Lando Norris made contact with Oscar Piastri, sending his McLaren team-mate out of the race. Piastri was unable to continue, while Norris managed to rejoin.

Kimi Antonelli benefited from the incident and moved up to fourth place. At the front, Max Verstappen completed the Sprint victory, with Lewis Hamilton finishing second and Charles Leclerc third to secure a double podium for Ferrari.