Formula 1 Live Updates

Max Verstappen Celebrates First Victory in Singapore

(Bild: AFP/ANTHONY WALLACE)

Formula 1 is in Singapore. Max Verstappen started from pole position. We’re covering the race live—see the live updates below.

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Warm temperatures, high humidity, and a nearly five-kilometer circuit with 19 turns and few overtaking opportunities make the Singapore Grand Prix one of the most physically demanding races of the season. Mercedes is hoping for a better performance than last weekend at nearby Sepang. Although Antonelli took another step toward the world championship title with his second-place finish, qualifying didn’t go as planned despite a car upgrade, and an engine failure in the race shortly before the finish set Russell back in the team’s internal battle for the lead.

Here are the championship standings:

“The weekend in Malaysia was obviously very difficult for us. Since then, we’ve been working intensively to determine why our performance didn’t turn out as expected,” explained Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff. “We’ve identified several areas that we need to examine more closely. In F1, however, there are no easy answers, and we need further clues before we can draw any definitive conclusions. Singapore offers us an immediate opportunity to continue this work. The nature of the track is completely different, which will help us get a clearer picture of where we stand,” said the Viennese.

George Russell(Bild: AP/Vincent Thian)

Russell will start from the back of the grid
Last year’s winner, Russell, faces a handicap that weighs particularly heavily in Singapore. Due to an illegal power unit change in Sepang, the Briton must start the night race on the street circuit from the back of the field. This presents a good opportunity for four-time Singapore winner Lewis Hamilton to gain ground in the battle for second place.

Max Verstappen is in high spirits heading into his milestone race. The four-time world champion secured his first win of the season in Malaysia—and his first victory since Red Bull Racing began developing its own engines in partnership with Ford. “It was an incredible feeling to win in Malaysia, and a moment of great pride for the team, as it was our first victory as a power unit manufacturer,” explained the Dutchman. He hopes for a similar performance in his 250th Grand Prix, but remains cautious. “I think the win depended heavily on the track characteristics, so we’ll have to wait and see how we do this week. I really like this street circuit—it has a lot of turns and is quite bumpy,” said Verstappen. Singapore, however, is one of the few tracks where he hasn’t yet won. “So I still have a score to settle there.”

Despite the night race: Heat warning issued
Formula 1 is holding a night race in Singapore. Nevertheless, temperatures at that time of day are still around 30 degrees, and humidity is high. There are unlikely to be any serious consequences from the smog that has drifted all the way to Singapore following fires in Indonesia. Nevertheless, the International Automobile Federation (FIA) has issued a heat warning. This allows teams to equip their cars with cooling devices.

Like Verstappen, Antonelli does not want to resort to this either. The Mercedes driver recalled in Singapore the failure of his cooling system during last year’s race in Austin. At that time, a defect in the cooling vest caused water that was suddenly 50 degrees hot to flow through the hoses. “I suffered heatstroke after the session,” Antonelli said. “Since then, I’ve preferred to train hard so I don’t need it on the weekend.”