Kimi Antonelli could be world champion in 13 days.
Not in Abu Dhabi. Not in Vegas. In Austin, on October 25, with five races still to go.
That's the real story out of Singapore. It got buried, because Verstappen finally did the one thing he'd never done there. He won!
Race at a glance
7.3s
Winning margin
2
Virtual safety cars
1
Stop for the winner
+10
Places gained by Russell
Verstappen finally cracks Singapore
Here's the breakdown. Verstappen took pole, won the sprint, and won the Grand Prix. It was his 250th start and his first ever win at Marina Bay. A week after ending his winless 2026 in Malaysia, he's now won two in a row.
He beat Charles Leclerc by 7.3 seconds, and it never really felt closer than that. Antonelli was third. The McLarens were fourth and fifth.
Why does this matter? Singapore has slow corners, bumps and curbs. Going into the weekend, Verstappen himself said the car was better at low speed but still struggled over bumps and curbs. And he won anyway.
Two in a row isn't a fluke anymore. Back in Austria I said the old Max was making his way back. This is what that looks like.
Lewis Hamilton went the other direction. He started P3 and finished P6. Ferrari stopped him on lap 18, the earliest real stop of the race, then he drove 44 laps on a used set of softs. You could hear Hamilton apologizing to his team over the radio at the end of the race:
Sorry boys, I let you down today with that strategy. My call, and I lost us valuable points. I'll try and make up for it in the next one. Great job with the pit stop though.
Fred Vasseur had this to say after the race:
We called them both to pit. It would have been P2 and P3 because we were P2 and P3 on track. He missed the pit entry. Honestly, it's a bit of a shame because he lost a podium too.
Should Ferrari take ownership for not letting Hamilton pass Leclerc earlier in the race when he was on softs, or is this all on Lewis? I'll let you decide, but it seems to me there's a lack of accountability from the Ferrari team.
The quiet result that changed the title fight
George Russell finished P9. For the championship, that's the result that mattered most.
Antonelli came into the weekend 84 points ahead of his Mercedes teammate. He leaves 102 ahead. Russell started P19, scored two points all weekend, and handed Antonelli 18 points without either of them touching.
That one weekend is why Austin is suddenly in play.
Strategy Desk: one stop beat two
Red Bull won this race by doing less. Verstappen stopped once, on lap 32, and ran mediums to the flag. Norris did the same thing behind him.
Then the virtual safety car came out on lap 39. Quick explainer if you're newer to this: a VSC slows every car to a set pace, so a pit stop costs a lot less time than usual. Teams call it a cheap stop. Leclerc, Antonelli and Russell all took it and went to softs for the last 23 laps. It still wasn't enough to catch the leader.
Best call: Russell. He started on mediums from P19, ran 39 laps, then pitted under the VSC. One stop, at a discount, ten places gained.
Worst timing: Piastri. He made his second stop on lap 41, one lap after the VSC ended, and paid full price for a stop the cars around him got cheap. He barely managed to squeeze past Hamilton on the final laps.
Next Up: Austin could crown a champion
The United States Grand Prix, October 23 to 25. No sprint. Singapore was the last one of 2026. Here's exactly what has to happen for Antonelli to clinch the title in Austin:
Antonelli wins the race.
Russell finishes ninth or lower.
Hamilton finishes fifth or lower.
Hit all three and his lead is too big to catch with five races left. Russell just finished ninth, so it's not a crazy thing that could happen.
And here's the part that should make you sit up. Antonelli is 20. Sebastian Vettel has held the record for youngest world champion since 2010, when he was 23. Antonelli would beat it by about three years!
Back in June I picked Hamilton to win this for Ferrari. I'm not officially giving up on that dream, but with the way the team strategy is, I find it unlikely.
Two more things to watch in Austin:
Three in a row? Verstappen arrives on back-to-back wins for the first time this season.
Seven points. That's the gap between McLaren and Red Bull for third in the constructors', and the prize money that comes with it.
Hit reply and tell me: does Antonelli wrap it up in Austin, or does somebody drag this all the way to Vegas?
Jacob
Singapore GP, Round 17. Result: Verstappen, Leclerc (+7.3s), Antonelli, Norris, Piastri, Hamilton, Lawson, Hulkenberg, Russell, Hadjar. Retirements: Albon (classified 18th), Stroll, Colapinto, Bortoleto. Sprint: Verstappen won. Next up: the United States GP in Austin, October 23 to 25, no sprint.