Welcome to our live coverage for the sprint race for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix from the Marina Bay Circuit. Given the way the championship standings are, it looks like Kimi Antonelli has one hand on the drivers’ title. That means that the most significant thing is the battle for individual race victories. That includes grands prix, but also sprint races, like we have today. 

Formula One is very keen on sprint races, increasing their number significantly next year, but we have never had one in Singapore before. We will find out today whether there was good reason for it. I suppose the logic is that even a processional sprint race is better than a free practice session and that having two qualifying sessions on a street circuit such as this is exciting, too. 

Still, although he might be strolling towards the championship, he and Mercedes are not the dominant force they were at the start of the season when he won five in a row having finished second in the opening race. In fact, in the last 10 grands prix, Antonelli has won three and Russell two. With Max Verstappen’s win in Malaysia last weekend it meant each of Red Bull, McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have won races this season. 

It is Verstappen who is in strong form in an upgraded Red Bull, as he snuck pole position from George Russell by just over a tenth of a second. He was followed by Charles Leclerc in the Ferrari and then Oscar Piastri in the McLaren. Antonelli, in the upgraded Mercedes, found things more difficult, finishing down in seventh nearly 0.7sec off the pace. 

Anyway, the sprint gets under way in about 30 minutes and we will be here for all the updates from that, as well as qualifying later today.