Italian driver Kimi Antonelli moved to the brink of his first Formula One world championship after securing third place at the Singapore Grand Prix, positioning himself to clinch the title at the next round in Austin. Max Verstappen delivered a commanding performance from start to finish at the Marina Bay circuit, while Antonelli's podium result means he could become F1's youngest champion at just 20 years old within two weeks.
Antonelli currently holds a 102-point advantage over his Mercedes teammate George Russell and leads Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton by 111 points. With six races remaining and 150 points available, the Italian will secure the championship in Austin if he wins the race and Russell finishes ninth or lower, with Hamilton fifth or lower.
When asked whether he now dared to dream of achieving his childhood ambition of becoming world champion, Antonelli responded affirmatively.
For sure. I know it's very close, I know it's there but I just need to make sure that I keep doing the best I can. The mindset is always the same, to go out there and win and perform the best way I can.
According to race records, Charles Leclerc finished second, 7.335 seconds behind Verstappen, while Antonelli crossed the line 24.573 seconds further back in third. Verstappen's victory marked his 250th Grand Prix start, and notably represented his first-ever win at the Singapore circuit after multiple previous attempts.
Mercedes struggling with pace
The Silver Arrows were outpaced by Red Bull throughout the Singapore weekend, with Mercedes still working to maximise the benefits of recent technical upgrades. Antonelli acknowledged that the team had more performance to unlock ahead of the Austin race, where he faces the critical task of closing out the championship.
This weekend I haven't particularly driven that well. I felt like I could have done a better job but I feel confident that a week to reset and I'm really looking forward to being back in Austin.
Antonelli emphasised that his own performance would ultimately determine whether he could achieve his championship objective.
But at the end of the day, if I don't do my job well, then the result won't come. So in order to achieve what I want, I need to perform, as simple as that.
Hamilton's costly strategy decision
Hamilton finished sixth after a strategic miscalculation during the virtual safety car period proved damaging to his race. The Ferrari driver's decision not to pit under the safety car left him vulnerable on degraded tyres late in the race, where he was overtaken by three competitors.
Hamilton was unwell following the race and did not participate in post-race media activities, but Ferrari released a statement on his behalf.
A painful lesson today but I take full responsibility for the decisions I made. Not every call will work out and I can accept getting it wrong but I'm sorry for the team for the points we lost today.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur defended the team's role in the outcome, making clear that the strategic call had been Hamilton's own decision.
We were P2, P3 on track, we called two of our guys to pit behind the VSC, one of our guys said: 'No I prefer to stay on track', or he missed pit entry. Don't blame the team.
Verstappen's dominant weekend
Verstappen's Singapore victory capped a commanding weekend at Marina Bay. The Red Bull driver also won Saturday's rain-delayed sprint race, after George Russell crashed out on the opening lap, giving Verstappen momentum heading into Sunday's main event.
What happens next
The championship battle will resume at the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas, scheduled for October 23–25, with the race taking place on Sunday, October 25. Antonelli will have the opportunity to secure his maiden world title if he can deliver a strong performance in Austin and his rivals fail to capitalise on any mistakes.
Key Facts
- Antonelli holds a 102-point lead over Russell with six races and 150 points remaining
- The Italian can clinch the title in Austin with a win, provided Russell finishes ninth or lower and Hamilton fifth or lower
- Verstappen's Singapore victory was his first at the Marina Bay circuit
- Hamilton's strategy error cost Ferrari significant points in the championship battle
- The next race takes place on October 25 in Austin, Texas
