Charles Leclerc launched an immediate attack on Max Verstappen at the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, getting the stronger initial getaway from the front row before the Red Bull driver resisted around the outside of the opening corner to retain the lead.
Ferrari’s challenge did not end with the failed Turn One move. By the start of lap two, the Monegasque remained less than a second behind Verstappen, while Lewis Hamilton was also within one second of his team-mate in third. The opening exchanges therefore left both Ferrari drivers firmly attached to the race leader rather than allowing Verstappen to escape.
Charles Leclerc attacks Verstappen at Singapore GP start
Leclerc reacted strongly when the lights went out and initially appeared capable of reaching Turn One ahead. Verstappen responded by squeezing the Ferrari before committing to the outside line through the first corner and into the second, managing to keep his Red Bull in front.
The move denied Leclerc the immediate lead but did not create the separation Verstappen would have wanted. Ferrari’s number 16 stayed directly behind the Red Bull through the remainder of the first lap, keeping the pressure on as the field settled into its early order.
There was less than a second between the leading pair on lap two, making the Monegasque an immediate presence in Verstappen’s mirrors rather than simply settling for second after the opening-corner battle.
Lewis Hamilton keeps Ferrari within striking distance
Lewis Hamilton also maintained his starting position through the opening lap, holding third place behind Leclerc while Kimi Antonelli remained fourth. That left Ferrari running second and third immediately behind the leader.
Hamilton was not detached from the fight either. By lap two, he was within a second of Leclerc, meaning the top three cars were still tightly grouped in the earliest phase of the Grand Prix.
For Ferrari, that was an important consequence of the start. Leclerc had been unable to convert his superior initial launch into first place, but both SF-26s remained close enough to Verstappen to keep the leading battle compressed rather than allowing Red Bull to establish an early cushion.
Verstappen survives Ferrari’s first challenge
Verstappen’s defence was decisive at the moment when Leclerc appeared to have the best chance of taking control of the race. Holding the outside line through the opening sequence allowed the Red Bull driver to preserve track position despite Ferrari’s stronger initial getaway.
However, the first two laps also showed that the contest had not immediately stabilised in his favour. Leclerc remained on the Red Bull’s gearbox, Hamilton stayed close behind his team-mate and the margins across the top three remained below one second.
Nothing from those opening laps alone could determine how the rest of the Singapore Grand Prix would develop, but Ferrari had achieved one important objective: The Monegasque and his Maranello teammate remained directly involved in the fight at the front after an aggressive opening sequence in which the lead had briefly appeared within reach.
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