An eighth career pole and a second of 2025 for George Russell gives the all-important Singapore grid an unusual look. He has Max Verstappen alongside and keeping his championship momentum going by starting ahead of both curiously lacklustre McLarens.
Track position has historically been hugely significant around Marina Bay, but the recent changes to the circuit, with an extra straight and a fourth DRS zone are shifting the needle a little in terms of overtaking.
What happened last year?
Everyone down to P17 ran a one-stop race, with most choosing the medium-hard route, including nine of the top 10 – but a wide pit window had the scoring cars stopping between Laps 13 and 38. Significantly, both the earliest stopper (Carlos Sainz) and the last of the late (Oscar Piastri) were successful at gaining places from their
.webp?ssl=1 "James Hinchcliffe picks his top five drivers of the 2026 Formula 1 season so far")
