NEED TO KNOW: The most important facts, stats and trivia ahead of the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix

The Singapore Grand Prix will host Round 17 of the 2026 Formula 1 season this weekend, marking the last leg of a triple header sequence of races.

As the Sprint format makes its final appearance of the campaign, Free Practice 1 and Sprint Qualifying will take place on Friday, October 9, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying on Saturday, October 10, and the Grand Prix itself on Sunday, October 11.

Vital statistics

• First Grand Prix – 2008
• Track Length – 4.927km
• Lap record – 1m 33.808s, Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, 2025
• Most pole positions – Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton (4)
• Most wins – Sebastian Vettel (5)
• Trivia – Due to the physical demands of the climate and circuit, drivers can lose as much as 3kg in body weight over the course of a race in Singapore
• Pole run to Turn 1 braking point – 198 metres
• Overtakes completed in 2025 – 58
• Safety Car probability – 67%*
• Virtual Safety Car probability – 33%*
• Pit stop time loss – 22.44 seconds

*From the last six races in Singapore

The driver’s verdict

Jolyon Palmer, former Renault F1 driver: Marina Bay is a long, complex circuit, and draining as well – a little bit like Monaco – with plenty of bumps. It’s all about the low-speed and having decent turn-in without losing the rear or suffering snaps of oversteer.

There are still 19 corners after the removal of the Turns 16-19 section, which has become a long straight, and towards the end of the lap you’re starting to worry about your rear tyres overheating, particularly if you’ve not been kind to them earlier on.

Braking is particularly tricky at Turn 7, where it’s easy to run wide. The newer Singapore Sling through Turns 10 and 11 is also one of those ones that can lure you into going too deep, often catching drivers out.

Coming over the bridge, where you brake to the right and then turn to the left, induces lock-ups, while a lot of traction events mean you’re spiking rear tyre temperatures – and there’s an emphasis on rear grip here.

A huge amount of concentration is required for this circuit and Grand Prix. You can lose a few kilos of liquid during the race, so hydration is the order of the day. Monaco might be the only venue with a slower average speed, but Singapore can be an absolute slog.

Last five Singapore GP polesitters

• 2025 – George Russell (Mercedes)
• 2024 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
• 2019 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)

Last five Singapore GP winners

• 2025 – George Russell (Mercedes)
• 2024 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
• 2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
• 2022 – Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
• 2019 – Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari)

Tyre and strategy insight

“Track evolution will be significant over the course of the weekend,” reads Pirelli’s weekend preview. “Intermittent rainfall, typical of the equatorial climate, will also influence grip levels and can alter conditions from one session to the next.

“As is well known, the race takes place at night, with track temperatures ranging between 30 and 35C. Under these conditions, the tyres tend to operate within their working window without any particular overheating concerns.

“Mechanical stress is not especially high and the expected degradation will mainly be linked to the normal performance drop-off of the rear axle during traction phases. Graining and wear are also not expected to become limiting factors in race management.

“For these reasons, from a strategic perspective Singapore remains one of the races in which a one-stop strategy is the preferred option for teams, also considering the time lost in the pit lane and the frequent likelihood of neutralisations. While hard and medium are once again expected to be the reference compounds for the race, this year the soft could receive greater consideration on Sunday from more than one team.

“The softest compound in the range has demonstrated at Budapest, Monza and Baku, where it was used, that it allows drivers to maintain a strong pace thanks to limited degradation, while also offering an advantage in terms of grip and confidence behind the wheel. These characteristics could prove even more valuable on a circuit such as Singapore, which is also known for its significant track evolution.

“The latest-generation cars also appear to make better use of the softer compounds. Aerodynamic load, more effective temperature management and the formulation of the current compounds allow the softer end of the range to be used for longer and more competitive stints than in the past.

“With this in mind, it would come as no surprise to see the red-sidewalled tyre used in Saturday’s Sprint or, more generally, to witness more extensive use of the C5 throughout the weekend, encouraged by the Sprint format itself.”

Current form

While Kimi Antonelli had to settle for second last time out at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, the Italian saw his lead at the top of the championship extend further to a sizeable 84 points following Mercedes team mate George Russell’s dramatic retirement in the latter stages.

Russell went on to suggest that his own prospects for the title may now be over. Ordinarily the Briton might take heart from the fact that the next stop on the calendar is Singapore – a venue where he claimed both pole position and victory last year – but bouncing back could prove challenging this time as he is set to take a grid penalty at Marina Bay.

The track is one of the few that Max Verstappen has never won at, despite coming close with more than one P2 finish. However, after sealing a commanding first triumph of 2026 one week ago in Malaysia, the Red Bull driver would arguably be in good stead to reach the top step in Singapore should he and the team bring that level of performance again this weekend.

Elsewhere, Ferrari showed promise with a strong recovery drive at Sepang after being amongst those to make the wrong tyre call at the start of the race, while McLaren conceded that they were lacking pace in comparison to their closest rivals. How will the pecking order amongst the top four play out on the streets of Marina Bay?

In the midfield fight, Racing Bulls strengthened their hold on fifth place in the Teams’ Championship with another double score – one that saw Arvid Lindblad rise from the back of the grid to P10 – while closest rivals Alpine found themselves further down the order.

There was disappointment for Audi and Williams, with both missing out on points despite recent upgrades, but Aston Martin boosted their tally near the bottom of the table with a P8 finish for Fernando Alonso – a result that will surely give the Silverstone-based outfit a boost after a challenging season.

Iconic moment

Many a memorable moment has played out under the lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit since it arrived on the F1 calendar back in 2008, but on this occasion we’re taking a trip back to 2019 to relive the final victory of Sebastian Vettel’s record-breaking run at the circuit – which also proved to be his last win in Formula 1.

The four-time World Champion had arrived into the weekend off the back of a disappointing performance at the Italian Grand Prix, where a spin saw him cross the line down in P13 while Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc was victorious.

Leclerc again looked like the favourite in Singapore after clinching pole position, but an early pit stop allowed Vettel to undercut the Monegasque – as well as the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton – and put himself into the lead, a position he held through three Safety Cars en route to the chequered flag.

It was an emotional and long-awaited visit to the top step of the podium for Vettel, marking his first win of the season and adding to his impressive tally of five victories at the track, more than any other driver.

Relive how Vettel’s race-winning strategy played out in the video below.