Max Verstappen won the inaugural Formula 1 Singapore GP sprint race on Saturday, in a race marked by rain, nine retirements and a sequence of incidents that reduced the grid from 22 to 13 cars by the end of the event, according to ge.
The Red Bull driver recovered after losing the lead to George Russell at the start and crossed the line ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who completed the top 3. Gabriel Bortoleto also retired from the race after being hit by Alexander Albon on the restart, a move that would still be investigated, ge reported.
The rain intensified in the ten minutes before the start and delayed the beginning by 30 minutes. According to the report, everyone started on intermediate tires and the medical car even aquaplaned during the track-condition check. The race resumed after two laps behind the safety car.
Russell had taken the lead as soon as the lights went out, but retired on the second lap after spinning on the main straight. Besides him, Oscar Piastri, Albon, Bortoleto, Valtteri Bottas, Franco Colapinto, Isack Hadjar, Sergio Pérez and Lance Stroll also fell by the wayside, due to accidents or mechanical failures, according to ge’s reporting.
In the final stretch, Piastri and Lando Norris collided while fighting for Leclerc’s slipstream. The result paved the way for Kimi Antonelli to move up to fourth place and extend his lead over Russell in the championship by five points, reaching 325 points to 236 for his Mercedes teammate, ge reported. Verstappen, meanwhile, added eight extra points and reached 14 sprint race wins, a new all-time record.
