Ferrari challenged Red Bull with two cars at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix, but Max Verstappen ultimately proved too strong at Marina Bay. Charles Leclerc finished second after trying to stay with the Red Bull driver, while Lewis Hamilton slipped to sixth after a strategy that initially appeared promising but unravelled during the second half of the race.
The basic scenario heading into the 17th round of the Formula 1 season was clear: Ferrari had two cars with which to attack, while Red Bull relied on Max Verstappen as its main reference at the front. The aim was to put pressure on the Dutchman from different strategic angles, but the race ultimately confirmed that the RB22 had the stronger overall pace.
Ferrari starts aggressively with Charles Leclerc but Max Verstappen shuts the door
Ferrari fired up both SF-26 cars with the usual instructions arriving over the radio during the installation lap. Among them was a firm request for the drivers to weave along the straights in order to bring the tyres into the correct operating window. Both completed the lap and took their places on the grid.
The Scuderia split its starting strategies. Charles Leclerc lined up on Soft tyres, while Lewis Hamilton started on the Medium compound. The idea was to put the two SF-26 cars on different race plans and give Max Verstappen two different threats to manage, assuming the Red Bull did not possess a decisive pace advantage.
At the start, Charles Leclerc got a better launch and drew alongside Max Verstappen, but the Red Bull driver braked extremely late into Turn 1 and retained the lead. Lewis Hamilton watched the battle unfold ahead while keeping the rest of the field behind him.
Passing Max Verstappen at the start could have transformed Charles Leclerc’s race, but the Dutchman understood the importance of the moment and defended accordingly. The Ferrari driver could use Overtake Mode, although overtaking the RB22 was always going to be difficult given the Red Bull’s strong energy deployment and aerodynamic efficiency.
Max Verstappen begins to escape as Ferrari manages tyres and balance
Ferrari’s onboard footage showed an SF-26 that remained very clean through the corners, with the balance still looking strong despite the heavy fuel load. On lap seven, however, Max Verstappen began to increase the pace, set the fastest lap and started trying to break away.
Charles Leclerc attempted to remain attached to the Red Bull, while Lewis Hamilton created some space behind in order to manage his Medium tyres. A Virtual Safety Car arrived on lap nine, and Ferrari instructed its drivers to remain on track rather than stop, allowing them to preserve track position and maintain tyre temperature.
Once racing resumed, Lewis Hamilton no longer had Overtake Mode available relative to his teammate and had Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind him in the Mercedes with the system available. The British driver therefore tried to increase his pace and reconnect with the leading pair.
Ferrari provided Lewis Hamilton with detailed instructions on cornering speed, braking and specific settings aimed at improving rotation and helping the SF-26 approach the apex more naturally. On lap 13, the first tyre-phase update was requested so the pit wall could assess the condition of the tyres.
Lewis Hamilton was able to keep Andrea Kimi Antonelli behind without too much difficulty, although Carlo Santi asked him to carry more speed through Turn 9. At the front, Charles Leclerc had begun losing contact with Max Verstappen, with the RB22 showing stronger overall performance, particularly in tyre management.
Ferrari completes its first stops and keeps both cars in contention
Lewis Hamilton then asked for information about the strategy. Ferrari suggested Plan C, although it depended on improving the pace. A front-wing flap adjustment was also discussed as his first pit stop approached.
The seven-time World Champion eventually came in and switched to Soft tyres, with Ferrari adding two clicks of front-wing load. He rejoined in seventh behind Liam Lawson.
As had been the case at Sepang, the Soft compound appeared to suit Ferrari better. Carlo Santi praised the pace of car number 44 after the stop, which was exactly what the team needed for its intended strategy. Lewis Hamilton was running in clean air, with Ferrari having deliberately timed the stop to avoid traffic and turbulent air.
The objective was to exploit his pace without another car immediately ahead. One lap later, Andrea Kimi Antonelli and Charles Leclerc stopped. The Ferrari strategy initially worked well, with the Mercedes driver emerging three seconds behind.
Charles Leclerc moved onto Medium tyres and returned to the circuit in fourth position, directly ahead of Lewis Hamilton. With Max Verstappen still faster at the front, Ferrari’s tactical approach was nevertheless paying off at that stage.
Questions emerge over Ferrari’s strategy
A problem soon became apparent: the Medium tyres offered less pace. Charles Leclerc was using that compound and initially appeared to be limiting Lewis Hamilton’s progress behind him. Ferrari informed the Monegasque that his pace had improved after three laps, while Lewis Hamilton was asked to increase tyre management because the Softs needed to survive the team’s projected stint length.
The British driver was unconvinced and felt he had more pace available. The issue largely disappeared one lap later when Charles Leclerc set the fastest lap and opened a gap to his teammate.
Some tension nevertheless remained. Ferrari continued updating Lewis Hamilton on the strategy, while the British driver made it clear over the radio that he understood the plan and repeatedly requested lap-time references to Charles Leclerc.
With Max Verstappen already disappearing up the road, Lewis Hamilton knew that, beyond keeping the rest of the field behind, the only realistic direct contest remaining was with his teammate. That contributed to his concern over whether the chosen strategy would eventually allow the two Ferrari drivers to fight on equal terms.
After the halfway point, the second tyre-phase update arrived for Lewis Hamilton. His pace remained good and everything was progressing according to Ferrari’s plan. Even so, he continued asking how the Soft tyres were expected to behave at the end of the stint. Carlo Santi eventually informed him that the two Ferrari cars were expected to have comparable pace by the end of the race.
With 24 laps remaining, Ferrari still occupied second and third positions. The different compounds, stint lengths and tyre-management demands were becoming central to the outcome, making the F1 Tyre & Stint Analysis particularly relevant to the contrasting strategies.
Charles Leclerc encounters an issue as Lewis Hamilton’s tyres fade
One lap later, the second Safety Car period of the race changed the strategic picture again. Charles Leclerc took advantage and stopped for a fresh set of Soft tyres, returning in third place around ten seconds behind Lewis Hamilton, who remained on track.
Ferrari gave Charles Leclerc a target lap time of 1:35.5 as he attempted to prepare an attack on Max Verstappen during the closing stages. Lewis Hamilton, meanwhile, became increasingly concerned because the car was not braking properly and immediately asked for the tyres to be checked.
The pit wall tried to reassure him, reiterating the strategy and maintaining that the plan would work by the end of the race. Lewis Hamilton considered making an extreme additional stop, but Ferrari warned that doing so would cost two positions. The British driver continued to push for a desperate attempt.
At the same time, an unspecified anomaly appeared on Charles Leclerc’s SF-26. Ferrari’s engineers worked remotely to correct the problem, but with 15 laps remaining it had not disappeared.
The pit wall then supplied further lap-time information. Max Verstappen was circulating in 1:36.2, compared with a 1:35.7 for the Ferrari. Charles Leclerc was subsequently instructed to select a driver default setting in an attempt to reset the systems and work around the error.
Lewis Hamilton regained his composure and concentrated on extracting the maximum possible performance from his car while continuing to request regular pace updates. With 11 laps remaining, Lando Norris was closing rapidly behind.
Ferrari loses its double podium as Lewis Hamilton drops back
Lewis Hamilton then entered a severe tyre-management crisis. Lando Norris launched an attack but braked too late and ran deep into Turn 1. Andrea Kimi Antonelli capitalised immediately, passing the McLaren and then the Ferrari to move ahead.
On the following lap, Lando Norris also passed Lewis Hamilton. With only six laps remaining, Ferrari’s potential double podium had disappeared, undone by a strategy that no longer delivered the required tyre performance.
Lewis Hamilton dropped to fifth and then had to defend against Oscar Piastri. The McLaren had stronger pace and quickly closed onto the back of the Ferrari. Charles Leclerc, meanwhile, remained around eight seconds behind Max Verstappen and was unable to close the gap sufficiently to mount a challenge.
Whatever Ferrari attempted strategically with Charles Leclerc, the Red Bull RB22’s race pace proved unreachable on the day. The Monegasque therefore secured second place, while his teammate endured a far more difficult conclusion.
Difficult Singapore GP ending for Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton’s race was ultimately defined by a strategic choice that appeared promising early on but became costly during the second half of the Grand Prix. The former Mercedes driver eventually dropped to sixth, completing a frustrating weekend in which his SF-26 had not consistently shown its full potential.
Ferrari therefore leaves Singapore with mixed feelings. Charles Leclerc delivered second place, but the team came close to an even stronger overall result at a circuit that had appeared favourable to the SF-26 without managing to deliver the decisive blow.
The Formula 1 calendar now provides a break, giving Ferrari’s engineers at Maranello time to prepare the final update package for the SF-26. The objective is to inject further performance into the car and maximise its competitiveness over the closing part of the season, with the latest developments continuing to form a key part of Ferrari’s technical development programme.
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