A Formula 1 Sprint differs significantly from a full Grand Prix. The shorter race covers around 100 kilometres – 21 laps were originally scheduled in Singapore – and there is no mandatory pit stop. Only the top eight score points, with eight awarded to the winner and one for eighth place. The Sprint also has its own qualifying session, while the grid for the main race is determined separately in the regular qualifying session on Saturday.
Heavy rain delays the start
Verstappen had secured Sprint pole on Friday and lined up alongside Russell on the front row. Leclerc and Piastri started directly behind them, with Norris fifth ahead of Hamilton. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli had to settle for seventh on the grid.
Heavy rain arrived shortly before the scheduled start. Standing water became a particular problem in the opening and final sectors, forcing race control to delay proceedings by around half an hour. Once conditions improved, the drivers completed two additional formation laps behind the Safety Car. The entire field switched to intermediate tyres.
Rain could remain a factor for the rest of the weekend. Showers or thunderstorms are still possible on Sunday. Any further rainfall would make an already demanding race around the tight Marina Bay street circuit even more unpredictable.
Chaotic opening leads to a string of retirements
Russell made the better getaway when the race finally began. The Mercedes driver swept past Verstappen to take the lead, while Hamilton also made an excellent start, climbing from sixth to third.
Russell’s advantage did not last long. Towards the end of the opening lap, the Briton lost control in the final section of the still extremely slippery circuit. His Mercedes hit the barriers and his Sprint was over.
Verstappen therefore inherited the lead again and the Safety Car was deployed. Further back, incidents quickly began to pile up. Sergio Perez and Lance Stroll had already made contact early on, while Franco Colapinto and Isack Hadjar were among those forced to retire soon afterwards. Alexander Albon, Gabriel Bortoleto and Valtteri Bottas later joined the list of non-finishers following another incident.
Only 13 drivers eventually reached the chequered flag.
Verstappen stays error-free in difficult conditions
After the restart, Verstappen gradually began to pull away from his pursuers. The main challenge was now keeping the intermediate tyres alive as the circuit continued to dry. Switching to slicks was becoming increasingly attractive in terms of lap time, but with so little distance remaining it also represented a major risk.
Verstappen found the best compromise. The Red Bull driver stayed out of trouble, kept Hamilton beyond striking distance and steadily increased his advantage.
Hamilton also produced a strong race. After his excellent start, the Ferrari driver consolidated second place and eventually finished 2.591 seconds behind Verstappen. Leclerc struggled considerably more as his intermediates deteriorated, but still managed to hold on to third.
Antonelli initially ran only sixth. The championship leader would ultimately benefit from the drama unfolding just ahead of him.
McLaren battle erupts on the final lap
In the closing stages, both McLarens gradually closed in on Leclerc. Piastri ran fourth directly behind the Ferrari, with Norris following his team-mate. As the circuit dried, the gaps became increasingly tight.
Their internal battle boiled over on the final lap. Norris attempted to pass Piastri, the two McLarens made contact and the Australian was sent into a spin. Piastri was unable to continue and was eventually classified 14th.
Norris also lost a significant amount of time in the collision. Instead of fighting for fourth place, the reigning world champion dropped all the way to eighth, just managing to salvage the final Sprint point.
Antonelli, Liam Lawson, Oliver Bearman and Nico Hülkenberg were the major beneficiaries. Antonelli moved up to fourth and collected five points, while championship rival Russell left the Sprint empty-handed. The Italian therefore extended his lead in the standings to 89 points.
Lawson brought his Racing Bulls home in an impressive fifth, Bearman finished sixth and Hülkenberg secured two points for Audi in seventh.
Verstappen continues his resurgence
The victory was significant for Verstappen in several respects. After Red Bull had been made to wait a long time for its first major success of the season, the Dutchman had won the Bahrain Grand Prix in Sepang only a week earlier. He immediately followed that up with another victory in Singapore – his first ever at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Ferrari also had plenty of reason to be satisfied. Hamilton and Leclerc put both cars on the podium and, unlike several of their direct rivals, avoided any costly mistakes.
For McLaren, a race that had looked likely to yield solid points ended with a painful collision between their own drivers. The timing was particularly frustrating for Piastri, with the incident coming just a few corners from the finish.
There is little time to dwell on the Sprint. Regular qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix takes place later this Saturday afternoon and will determine the grid for Sunday’s main race. If the rain returns, Marina Bay could once again produce highly unpredictable conditions.
Singapore Sprint results
P1 – Max Verstappen – Red Bull
P2 – Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – +2.591
P3 – Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +16.871
P4 – Kimi Antonelli – Mercedes – +17.238
P5 – Liam Lawson – Racing Bulls – +20.632
P6 – Oliver Bearman – Haas – +24.321
P7 – Nico Hülkenberg – Audi – +27.525
P8 – Lando Norris – McLaren – +28.272
P9 – Pierre Gasly – Alpine – +36.220
P10 – Esteban Ocon – Haas – +37.640
P11 – Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – +50.464
P12 – Carlos Sainz – Williams – +52.467
P13 – Arvid Lindblad – Racing Bulls – +55.792
P14 – Oscar Piastri – McLaren – DNF
P15 – Alexander Albon – Williams – DNF
P16 – Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi – DNF
P17 – Valtteri Bottas – Cadillac – DNF
P18 – Isack Hadjar – Red Bull – DNF
P19 – Franco Colapinto – Alpine – DNF
P20 – George Russell – Mercedes – DNF
P21 – Sergio Perez – Cadillac – DNF
P22 – Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – DNF
