Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, finishing ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, according to Corriere della Sera. The victory completed a full sweep of the weekend for the Red Bull driver, who also took the sprint pole, the sprint race and the main qualifying session.
Antonelli's third-place finish moves him to the brink of the drivers' title. Corriere della Sera reports he now holds a 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell and will have his first opportunity to clinch the championship at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, on October 25.
Lewis Hamilton, in the second Ferrari, fell from third on the grid to sixth by the flag. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, both in McLarens, finished fourth and fifth.
Why it matters
The result leaves little suspense at the top of the standings with several rounds still to run. Antonelli, in only his second season in Formula 1, can close out the championship at the next race, and the arithmetic is straightforward: his advantage over Russell is large enough that a single strong Sunday in Texas could end the contest.
For Verstappen, the win carries a different kind of weight. Corriere della Sera notes that the title race is already settled, yet Red Bull has rediscovered its form late in the season, with two wins and a second place across the last three rounds. Singapore had previously been a circuit where the Dutch driver had not won, and the newspaper describes the result as breaking that particular barrier.
Verstappen controls the race from the front
According to Corriere della Sera, the decisive moment came at the start. Leclerc attacked, and Verstappen closed the door in his usual uncompromising manner. From there, the report states, the race ceased to be a contest at the front.
Verstappen built a gap and managed it through the stint. At one stage he led Hamilton by around ten seconds. Later, with his tyres fading and roughly ten laps remaining, Leclerc cut the margin to about ten seconds, but the Ferrari driver never found a way through. Corriere della Sera describes Verstappen's tyres as worn by that point and notes he made a mistake, yet the lead held.
Leclerc's race followed a different arc. The newspaper reports that Ferrari briefly raised the possibility of fighting for the win, but the car's pace in race conditions did not support it. Leclerc's rhythm dropped early, and at one stage he trailed Verstappen by 8.5 seconds. He later used fresher tyres to pass Hamilton and take second, but the gap to the leader was too large to close.
Hamilton's strategy unravels
Hamilton's afternoon turned on tyre choices. Corriere della Sera reports he started on the medium compound, which never performed as hoped, in contrast to the red-walled tyres on Leclerc's car. He stopped early to switch to the softs, and by the closing laps those tyres were worn out.
The consequence was a sequence of defensive failures. Norris attacked, then Antonelli, then Piastri, and Hamilton had no answer. He dropped from third to sixth. Corriere della Sera notes he also came under investigation for cutting the track.
The newspaper reports that Hamilton could have returned to the pits under a virtual safety car late in the race but chose not to. In a team radio message, he accepted responsibility, saying his choices had not worked and apologising for the points lost. Corriere della Sera describes the admission as striking given the seven-time champion's reputation.
Antonelli's path to the podium was not without complications. Corriere della Sera reports he twice exceeded track limits and faced a possible five-second penalty. Even with that penalty applied, the newspaper states, he would have kept third place because his margin over Norris was greater than eight seconds. At one point Antonelli radioed that he suspected a problem with the car, and his team replied that they could see nothing unusual. He was later told the issue appeared resolved and his pace improved.
After the race, Antonelli said the afternoon had been difficult and that he was pleased with how he had capitalised on the battle between Hamilton and Norris, according to Corriere della Sera.
Russell's recovery was more limited. He started 19th after an engine change and worked his way up to ninth, passing Pierre Gasly for the position. Corriere della Sera reports that his progress stopped there.
Midfield and retirements
McLaren's weekend was another difficult one, though the team limited the damage with fourth for Norris and fifth for Piastri. Liam Lawson finished seventh for Racing Bulls, and Nico Hulkenberg was eighth for Audi, continuing to carry the team's results according to Corriere della Sera. Isack Hadjar completed the top ten.
Three drivers retired: Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto and Gabriel Bortoleto. Corriere della Sera notes Bortoleto's withdrawal as a setback for Audi.
Championship picture
Corriere della Sera lists the standings after Singapore with Antonelli on 325 points, Russell on 236 and Hamilton on 221. Leclerc sits fourth on 197, one point ahead of Verstappen on 196. Norris is sixth on 189, with Piastri seventh on 128.
The gap of 102 points between Antonelli and Russell is the figure that matters most. Corriere della Sera reports that Austin will give Antonelli his first match point, with the race scheduled for Sunday, October 25.
For Ferrari, the newspaper's assessment is that another opportunity has passed and few remain. Verstappen, meanwhile, celebrated a Singapore win at last, and Red Bull's late-season speed suggests the team intends to keep winning even with the championship already decided.
The next question is whether Antonelli can finish the job in Texas, or whether Russell can extend the fight.
