Team Insights: Race Day Unfolds at the 2026 Singapore GP

Red Bull

Max Verstappen showcased his relentless form in Singapore by adding a Grand Prix win to his Sprint success. He aggressively defended against Charles Leclerc at the start and, once in the lead, maintained his position with apparent ease. Verstappen's control was evident through the pit stops, affirming Red Bull's current dominance.

Isack Hadjar faced a challenging start from the pit lane due to setup changes but fought his way back into the points, overtaking Pierre Gasly late in the race.

Max Verstappen, 1st: "Winning here in Singapore is incredible. We've had our share of missed chances, so standing on the top step is special. The car was excellent, and despite having to manage a few issues, including a non-functioning radio, we executed well. We're aiming to keep this momentum going into Austin and beyond."

Isack Hadjar, 10th: "Starting from the back and clawing back into the points made for an enjoyable race. The car was strong, especially once in clean air. It was a lot of hard work for just a single point, but it was worth it."

Laurent Mekies, Team Principal: "Max delivered an exceptional performance, securing pole and victories in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix. Isack also showed strong pace despite starting from the back. Credit to the entire team for their tireless efforts."

Ferrari

Charles Leclerc nearly challenged Verstappen at the start but ultimately settled for second, with Lewis Hamilton close behind. Hamilton's strategy involved an early switch to softs, which raised questions about a potential two-stop approach. However, it was Leclerc who pitted again under the Virtual Safety Car, reclaiming second place but unable to catch Verstappen. Hamilton, struggling with tire degradation, fell to sixth.

Charles Leclerc, 2nd: "We extracted the maximum today. Red Bull and Max were strong, but our strategy worked well. Looking forward to Austin and seeing how upgrades might shift the dynamics."

Lewis Hamilton, 6th: "The strategy didn't work out as planned, and I take responsibility for that. The medium tires didn't perform as expected, and we missed a pit entry under the VSC. It was a lesson learned."

Fred Vasseur, Team Principal: "A solid weekend overall, although Verstappen had the edge. Our strategy was flexible, and while Lewis missed a pit stop opportunity, we've learned valuable lessons."

Mercedes

Andrea Kimi Antonelli managed a clean race to finish third, exploiting a battle between Lando Norris and Hamilton to his advantage. This result extended his championship lead, with a chance to secure the title in the next race. George Russell climbed from 19th to ninth, hindered only by Nico Hulkenberg's defense.

Kimi Antonelli, 3rd: "A podium finish is a great result after a tough race. Strategy was key, and it paid off as we overtook both Norris and Hamilton. We've learned a lot from this weekend's updates."

George Russell, 9th: "Starting from the back meant a challenging race, but we managed to get back into the points. It was a tough weekend, but we've gathered useful data for the upcoming races."

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: "Given our starting positions, coming away with a podium and points is a good result. The updates are showing promise, and we're optimistic about further improvements."

McLaren

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri maintained their starting positions early on, with Norris narrowly missing out on a podium after a mistake battling Hamilton. Piastri recovered from a slow puncture to finish fifth.

Lando Norris, 4th: "P4 was the best we could do. The race was challenging, and while I made a mistake fighting Lewis, the result is still positive. We need upgrades to close the gap to the top teams."

Oscar Piastri, 5th: "Despite a puncture, P5 was the best outcome. The car felt good, and finishing the race with a last-lap pass was satisfying."

Andrea Stella, Team Principal: "Today's results reflect our current performance level. We're focused on upgrades to help us compete for podiums in the future."

Racing Bulls

Liam Lawson held off midfield challengers to secure seventh, boosting his team's standings position. Arvid Lindblad struggled after a poor start and finished 15th.

Liam Lawson, 7th: "A strong race with good pace meant I could secure some valuable points. We're focused on maintaining this momentum."

Arvid Lindblad, 15th: "A tough race after a bad start. We'll review and come back stronger."

Alan Permane, Team Principal: "A great result for Liam, managing tire wear well. Arvid faced challenges, but we'll address those for upcoming races."

Audi

Nico Hulkenberg finished eighth, defending well against Russell. Gabriel Bortoleto retired early due to a suspected gearbox issue.

Nico Hulkenberg, 8th: "We maximized our opportunities, and holding off George was crucial. It's a good result after a challenging weekend."

Gabriel Bortoleto, DNF: "A tough end to the weekend with a mechanical issue, but we'll focus on the positives and move forward."

Allan McNish, Racing Director: "Nico drove superbly to secure points. It's a positive step for the team, despite Gabriel's unfortunate DNF."

Alpine

Pierre Gasly missed out on points, finishing 11th after struggling with traction. Franco Colapinto retired again due to a mechanical issue.

Pierre Gasly, 11th: "A disappointing race, struggling with traction. We need to address these issues to improve."

Franco Colapinto, DNF: "Another frustrating DNF, but we'll work on solutions for future races."

Steve Nielsen, Managing Director: "A challenging weekend, but we've shown pace. We're optimistic about future improvements."

Haas

Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon finished outside the points after battling early. Bearman was 12th, and Ocon 13th, both losing positions late in the race.

Oliver Bearman, 12th: "We had good pace, but overtaking was tough. We'll push for improvements in the next races."

Esteban Ocon, 13th: "A strong start, but we lacked pace overall. We'll analyze and aim for better results."

Ayao Komatsu, Team Principal: "A difficult race, but we executed well. There's positive momentum to carry into the next events."

Williams

Carlos Sainz climbed to 10th early but finished 14th due to battery issues. Alex Albon retired with brake problems.

Carlos Sainz, 14th: "A strong start but issues cost us points. We'll regroup for the next races."

Alex Albon, DNF: "A frustrating retirement due to brake issues. We'll focus on improvements for the future."

James Vowles, Team Principal: "Not the pace we wanted. We'll work on extracting more from the car in the upcoming races."

Aston Martin

Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll both had challenging races, with Stroll retiring due to clutch issues and Alonso finishing 16th.

Fernando Alonso, 16th: "A difficult weekend, starting from the pit lane was a tough challenge. We'll work on improvements."

Lance Stroll, DNF: "Retiring with a clutch issue was disappointing. We'll focus on making improvements for future races."

Mike Krack, Chief Trackside Officer: "A challenging race from the pitlane, but the team gave everything. We'll prepare for Austin with renewed focus."

Cadillac

Sergio Perez finished 17th and Valtteri Bottas 19th, both struggling with pace. The team completed the race with both cars for the first time since Monza.

Sergio Perez, 17th: "We're lacking pace, but operationally we're solid. Looking forward to Austin and Mexico."

Valtteri Bottas, 19th: "Finishing both cars is positive, but we need more pace. We'll focus on future improvements."

Marcin Budkowski, Team Principal: "A tough weekend, but finishing with both cars is a step forward. We'll work on improving our pace for upcoming races."

Pirelli

Dario Marrafuschi, Pirelli Motorsport Director: "The Soft-Medium one-stop strategy was the most effective. The Soft tire performed well, with minimal degradation. The Hard tire wasn't a strategic choice due to its lower grip."

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