Max Verstappen continued his resurgence with a commanding victory in Saturday’s Singapore Mini Race, mastering treacherous wet conditions to take another important win for Red Bull. Aftser securing pole position on Friday, the Dutchman overcame a difficult start to finish ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc in a race packed with crashes, retirements and unexpected twists. Heavy rain delayed the start, setting the stage for one of the most chaotic short races of the season at Marina Bay.
The drama began before the lights even went out, as torrential rain left the circuit dangerously wet and forced officials to delay the start. When racing finally got underway, George Russell made a fantastic getaway from the front row, sweeping past Verstappen to take the lead. However, the Mercedes driver’s advantage lasted only briefly. On the opening lap, Russell lost control of his car on the slippery surface and crashed out, bringing his afternoon to a premature end and handing Verstappen a golden opportunity to reclaim first place.
With Russell out of the picture, Verstappen immediately focused on controlling the race. The Red Bull driver negotiated the difficult conditions with impressive precision, keeping his car away from the barriers while his rivals struggled to find grip. A Safety Car period following further incidents gave the field a chance to regroup, but Verstappen remained composed at the front when racing resumed. On a circuit where even the smallest mistake can prove disastrous, his ability to stay out of trouble proved decisive.
Behind him, Hamilton delivered a strong performance to secure second place for Ferrari, while teammate Charles Leclerc completed the podium in third. Hamilton took advantage of the chaos to move into a position from which he could challenge for victory, but Verstappen maintained enough of a gap to keep the seven-time world champion at bay. Kimi Antonelli also enjoyed a valuable result, finishing fourth and extending his advantage in the championship standings after his main rival, Russell, failed to score.
McLaren, meanwhile, endured a disastrous finish. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri made contact on the final lap, with both drivers spinning in an incident that cost the team valuable points. Piastri finished outside the points, while Norris salvaged a single point despite the collision. Elsewhere, the treacherous conditions claimed several more victims, including Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas and Lance Stroll, while Alex Albon was also caught up in an incident involving Gabriel Bortoleto. The number of retirements underlined just how unforgiving Marina Bay had become in the rain.
For Verstappen, this victory represents another significant step forward after a challenging start to the season. Having claimed his first win of the year in Malaysia last weekend, the Dutchman has now followed it with another impressive performance, demonstrating that Red Bull’s recent improvements are translating into results. Hamilton and Leclerc gave Ferrari a double podium, but the biggest winner was undoubtedly Verstappen, who emerged from the chaos with maximum Mini Race points. With qualifying still to come and the main race scheduled for Sunday, the Dutchman has made his intentions clear: Red Bull is back in the fight, and Verstappen is ready to challenge anyone who stands in his way.
MiniDrivers – 2026 Singapore – Mini Race
Deja una respuesta