The 17th round of the F1 2026 season will take place at this weekend\u2019s Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay street circuit.<\/p>\n
2026 wins for Max Verstappen are like London buses, you wait forever and then two come at once. As for Sergio Perez, a touch of magic is on the cards, while Kimi Antonelli will put the final nail in George Russell\u2019s title coffin.<\/p>\n
Antonelli will stamp his authority as F1 2026\u2019s world champion<\/p>\n
By Michelle Foster<\/p>\n
The big question heading into Singapore is what is going on with Mercedes\u2019 upgrades?<\/p>\n
They didn\u2019t set the stage alight in Malaysia with Max Verstappen claiming both pole position and the race win.<\/p>\n
Was it a case of not understanding and not maximising? Or, worryingly, did they just not do the job expected?<\/p>\n
Chances are, given Mercedes\u2019 calibre, it was the former and the team will head to Singapore with more data and a better understanding.<\/p>\n
Understanding that will pay off for Antonelli, but not so much Russell. Facing a back-of-the-grid start due to an engine penalty, Russell will make gains in Singapore but it won\u2019t be enough to challenge Antonelli for the win \u2013 unlike the Italian\u2019s charge at Monza.<\/p>\n
Sorry, but George just doesn\u2019t have that in him. He is a more calculated and cautious driver than Antonelli, and while it will secure him wins \u2013 even dominant ones \u2013 when everything is going right, it means then the chips are down, he cannot race from 19th to first.<\/p>\n
I hope he proves me wrong, but for the spectacle and for the championship.<\/p>\n
But more reasonably I\u2019d say that on Sunday in Singapore, any hope that Russell had will be obliterated.<\/p>\n
More on the Singapore Grand Prix<\/p>\n
FIA makes key decision for Singapore Grand Prix<\/a><\/p>\n Singapore Grand Prix weather: What is the risk of rain at Marina Bay this weekend?<\/a><\/p>\n Du du du du\u2026Max Verstappen<\/p>\n By Sam Hall<\/p>\n I am fully aboard the Max Verstappen hype train after his frankly dominant performance in Malaysia. Yes, he had topped one of the three practice sessions, but from qualifying to the final chequered flag, he was frankly unstoppable.<\/p>\n Although his championship placing does not demonstrate this, 2026 is one of Verstappen\u2019s strongest to date, in my opinion. A key trait of a true champion is to be able to develop a car when the chips are down. We saw Michael Schumacher do this; Lewis Hamilton has done this, and now, after his comeback last year as well as the turnaround this term, Verstappen can certainly add his name to this list.<\/p>\n The frightening thing for Mercedes, Ferrari and McLaren will be that Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies revealed after Malaysia that it was Singapore where the team had expected to shine, not Sepang.<\/p>\n With an engine penalty putting George Russell to the back of the grid, the competition is reduced at the front. Kimi Antonelli will be out to extend his 84-point gap in the standings, but knowing that a battle with Verstappen would substantially increase the risk of a zero score, it is likely to be a battle he would avoid beyond the pit stop phase.<\/p>\n A Verstappen win, Antonelli podium and, as a bonus prediction, two safety car interventions on Sunday.<\/p>\n Sergio Perez will score Cadillac\u2019s first-ever F1 point<\/p>\n By Oliver Harden<\/p>\n Well, it has to happen at some point, doesn\u2019t it? Surely.<\/p>\n The Cadillac has been at its best (or least worst) in 2026 at circuits without high-speed corners.<\/p>\n And those traction zones dotted all around the Singapore lap are perfect territory for Sergio Perez\u2019s trademark feather-like touch of the throttle pedal.<\/p>\n Cadillac will be relying on a lot of luck and a high attrition rate, while hoping like hell that its own famously fragile brakes do not succumb during the most punishing race of the season.<\/p>\n But this weekend resembles a chance. Only a small chance.<\/p>\n But potentially the best chance Cadillac will get before the season is out.<\/p>\n Red Bull\u2019s Singapore malaise to continue<\/p>\n By Henry Valantine<\/p>\n For all its progress in recent races and after Max Verstappen looked peerless in Malaysia, Red Bull will slip back in the order this weekend.<\/p>\n Street circuits haven\u2019t appeared a strength of the RB22 so far and, going back multiple seasons, Marina Bay has not been a happy hunting ground for the team.<\/p>\n While Verstappen has managed to make it to the podium in the past two seasons, Singapore is the one nation in his Formula 1 career where he is yet to register victory. Think back to 2023, for example, where despite ruling the roost everywhere else, Verstappen could only just make it into the top five that year.<\/p>\n Sergio Perez took a superb win around Marina Bay in 2022, and that remains the team\u2019s most recent success there.<\/p>\n While these are all-new cars for 2026, for one reason or another, Red Bull has not been able to bring its best to Singapore over recent years.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n