Photo via BBC Sport

Verstappen perfect and Antonelli hugely mature - driver ratings

Max Verstappen dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, securing back-to-back victories in both the sprint race and the main event from pole position. The Red Bull driver’s flawless execution—including a commanding lead after George Russell’s early sprint crash—propelled him up two spots in the championship standings, from sixth to fourth.

Meanwhile, Kimi Räikkönen’s strategic resilience and late-race podium finish in the grand prix further solidified his 102-point lead over Mercedes teammate George Russell, who finished ninth. Räikkönen’s weekend was marked by maturity, as he navigated brake issues and track-limit challenges to deliver a strong result despite qualifying fourth in the sprint and fourth in the main race’s qualifying session.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was Verstappen’s closest rival, claiming two podiums across the weekend with third in the sprint and second in the grand prix. McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri struggled with a costly collision in the sprint, though Piastri recovered to finish fifth in the grand prix after a late pass on Lewis Hamilton.

Norris’s weekend was hampered by the incident, while Hamilton’s strong sprint performance (starting sixth and finishing second) was overshadowed by a late-race tyre strategy error that dropped him to sixth. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Haas’s Oliver Bearman also stood out, with Bearman scoring crucial sprint points and Gasly nearly securing points in both races.

Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz, meanwhile, had underwhelming weekends, with Sainz’s early sprint exit from the pit lane setting a difficult tone for his race.

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