SINGAPORE, 10 October, 2026 (Nosheen): Max Verstappen claimed victory for Red Bull in a rain-hit and dramatic Singapore sprint race on Saturday after Mercedes driver George Russell crashed while leading at the end of the opening lap. Verstappen held off Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton to win by 2.591 seconds, while Charles Leclerc finished third. The race was delayed by 30 minutes following a heavy shower shortly before the scheduled start, with all drivers beginning on intermediate tyres. Russell made a strong start from the front row alongside pole-sitter Verstappen but lost control after touching a slippery white line at the final corner of the opening lap, crashing into the pit lane wall and bringing out the safety car. Russell described the incident as a miscalculation and admitted that the mistake had serious consequences, adding to his difficult season. Hamilton, who started sixth, moved into second place after overtaking Leclerc and the two McLaren drivers. He praised his start and said he enjoyed driving in the wet conditions, while Verstappen acknowledged that his poor start needed improvement but admitted he had benefited from Russell’s crash. On the final lap, McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri collided while fighting for fourth and fifth positions, allowing championship leader Kimi Antonelli to move up to fourth for Mercedes. Norris said he had run out of space at the corner, while Piastri noted that the incident had left the team with significant repair work ahead of qualifying. RB’s Liam Lawson finished fifth, followed by Haas driver Oliver Bearman in sixth and Audi’s Nico Hulkenberg in seventh. Norris recovered to finish eighth and secure the final points-paying position. The teams will return later on Saturday for qualifying ahead of Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.