F1 Singapore GP 2026: Max Verstappen Celebrates Maiden Marina Bay Win as Red Bull Hails Team Effort

Singapore, October 12, 2026: Max Verstappen described his maiden Singapore Grand Prix victory as a special moment after converting pole position into a commanding win at Marina Bay on Sunday. Red Bull Racing also praised the team’s performance after securing victory in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix, while Isack Hadjar celebrated a hard-earned point following his recovery from the back of the grid.

Verstappen controlled the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix to finish ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli. The victory capped a highly successful weekend for Red Bull, with the Dutchman also winning Saturday’s rain-affected Sprint.

Max Verstappen: ‘It’s an amazing feeling to finally win here in Singapore’

Verstappen said the victory was particularly satisfying after previous missed opportunities at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Red Bull driver credited the car’s performance and his ability to establish a rhythm once he had clean air ahead of him.

“It’s an amazing feeling to finally win here in Singapore. We’ve raced here many times and there have been a few missed opportunities, so to finally stand on the top step is really special,” Verstappen said.

The Dutchman explained that the car had performed consistently well throughout the weekend, allowing him to push when necessary and manage his advantage during the race.

“The car has been working well all weekend and I’ve felt really comfortable. We had strong pace throughout the race and although I had to push at times to maintain the gap, once I was in clean air I could really get into a rhythm,” he added.

Verstappen also revealed that the team had to manage a few technical issues during the race, including a radio problem. He praised race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase for helping him navigate the challenge.

“We had a few issues to manage, including the radio not working, but GP did a great job and seemed to know what I wanted to ask him most of the time!”

Looking ahead to the next round in Austin, Verstappen said Red Bull would continue to focus on maximising its opportunities rather than getting carried away by its recent success.

“Now, we’re just taking it race by race and trying to maximise every opportunity. The most important thing is that we keep having fun, and hopefully we can carry this momentum as a Team into the next few races,” he said.

Isack Hadjar: ‘A point is a point for the Team’

Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar also had reason to celebrate after recovering from the back of the grid to finish 10th and score a valuable championship point.

The Frenchman said overtaking cars made the race enjoyable, although he admitted that scoring points had not been certain on a circuit where cars can become trapped in closely spaced trains.

“It was a fun race tonight. Coming from the back and passing cars is always enjoyable. I wanted to get into the points, of course, but around a track like this, where a train can form, I wasn’t so sure,” Hadjar said.

Hadjar credited the car’s pace and the team’s work on strategy for helping him make progress. He also highlighted the advantage of switching to soft tyres for the second stint.

“The car had strong pace from the off, especially once I got into clean air, and I could gradually make my way through. It was similar to Baku, where the Soft was much better than the Medium, so going onto it for the second stint helped a lot,” he explained.

The Red Bull driver acknowledged the work carried out by his side of the garage following a difficult weekend and stressed the importance of contributing to the team’s points tally.

“It took a lot of hard work from everyone on my side of the garage to get that one point, but a point is a point for the Team – so I’m thankful to them for the big turnaround,” Hadjar said.

He also congratulated Verstappen on his victory and expressed confidence in Red Bull’s performance heading into the United States Grand Prix.

“We clearly have the pace. Max showed that, and a big congrats to him, as I know he wanted that one. I’m looking forward to Austin already.”

Gianpiero Lambiase: ‘Pole and victory in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix’

Red Bull race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase praised Verstappen’s performance and the team’s execution, describing the Singapore result as a tremendous achievement.

“To come away with Pole and victory in both the Sprint and the Grand Prix is a tremendous result for the whole Team,” Lambiase said.

He credited the team for providing Verstappen with a competitive car and highlighted the Dutchman’s ability to extract the maximum from the package.

“Max delivered another outstanding performance today. The Team did a fantastic job to give him a car capable of fighting at the front throughout the weekend and, once again, Max got the maximum out of the package available to him.”

Lambiase said the race had been executed particularly well, despite the importance of the start and the challenges posed by the Singapore circuit.

“It is never straightforward, however, and we knew the start would be critical. We know it is an area where we still have work to do and we understood the risk going into the race, but Max and the team managed it well enough to retain the lead. From there, he controlled the race exceptionally well and made the most of the pace we had.”

The Red Bull engineer also praised Hadjar’s recovery drive and the efforts of the garage crew, who worked through a challenging weekend to keep both cars competitive.

“Isack also delivered a very strong drive from the back of the grid. He was committed throughout, raced aggressively when he had opportunities and showed strong pace.”

He added that the result reflected the collective effort of the team and its progress across different circuits and conditions.

“It has been a very positive weekend for the whole Team, especially following what we achieved in Sepang, and it shows that we are becoming competitive across a wide range of circuits and conditions. That is a credit to the hard work of everyone in Milton Keynes.”

Red Bull turns attention to Austin

The Singapore Grand Prix result provided Red Bull with another major boost following its Sprint success. Verstappen’s victory demonstrated the team’s competitiveness at Marina Bay, while Hadjar’s recovery to 10th added another point to its tally.

However, Lambiase emphasised that the team would continue working to improve despite the weekend’s achievements, with the remaining races of the 2026 season and preparations for next year both in focus.

The championship battle now moves to Austin, where the Circuit of The Americas presents a very different challenge from Singapore’s tight street circuit. Red Bull will look to carry its momentum into the United States Grand Prix as the fight for the 2026 Formula 1 titles continues.