Singapore Grand Prix Predictions: Verstappen to Win at Last
Max Verstappen finally wins the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday night, in his 250th Grand Prix start. It's the one track where 72 career wins haven't produced a single victory.
He arrives in Singapore off his first win of 2026 in Malaysia, and Red Bull looked like the quickest car there. Mercedes, meanwhile, still don't know if their new update is helping them. That's why I'm backing Verstappen to win, with Lewis Hamilton on the podium. I also like George Russell to climb from the back of the grid into the top 10.
Lights out is Sunday, October 11 at 8 a.m. ET / 5 a.m. PT, live on TSN and RDS. My Singapore Grand Prix stats breakdown has the full Track Scorecard and all 10 numbers that matter at Marina Bay, but these are the four that shaped my picks:
- Pole has won 11 of 16 Singapore Grands Prix, including the last three.
- Verstappen has finished second in Singapore more than once but has never won here.
- Hamilton holds the Marina Bay lap record, a 1:33.808 set for Ferrari last year.
- The Safety Car chance is 67% over the last six races, with a 40% chance of rain on Sunday.
Max Verstappen to Win the Singapore Grand Prix
Verstappen won in Sepang from pole last weekend, and Red Bull looked like the fastest car in Malaysia. He nearly beat Russell in Baku the race before that, so this isn't a one-off. His Red Bull is in form at just the right time.
Mercedes are the question mark. Toto Wolff expected their Malaysia update to find around three tenths of a second, but he felt after qualifying that it had set them back by about the same. With only one practice session before Sprint Qualifying, there isn't much time to fix it.
Marina Bay rewards whoever starts at the front, and I like Verstappen to be that driver on Saturday night. Win the run to Turn 1, and the 198 metres from pole to the first braking point do most of the work.
Pick: Max Verstappen to win
Lewis Hamilton Podium Finish
Hamilton was one of the stories of Malaysia. Ferrari made the wrong tyre call at the start, and he still fought back to third. He's third in the championship on 214 points and is driving better than his Ferrari has looked at times this season.
He knows how to win here, with four Singapore wins, more than anyone except Sebastian Vettel. He's also the driver who set last year's lap record. A street circuit that rewards confidence over raw speed suits him.
With Russell starting from the back, there's one fewer contender for the podium on Sunday. That makes a top-three finish an easier target for Hamilton than it usually is.
Pick: Lewis Hamilton top 3 finish
George Russell Top 10 Finish
Russell starts the Grand Prix from the back after Mercedes confirmed an engine penalty for Russell in Singapore following his power unit failure in Malaysia. He won this race from pole last year, and he's still driving a Mercedes.
Passing is hard here, but it isn't impossible. Carlos Sainz went from 18th to 10th in a Williams last year without a single Safety Car. Russell has a far quicker car, and Kimi Antonelli won Monza from 19th only a month ago.
Then add the odds of a Safety Car. There's a 67% chance of one, and with Marina Bay's 22.44-second pit loss, a well-timed neutralisation hands out cheap stops. Russell is the driver best placed to take advantage.
Pick: George Russell top 10 finish