Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Latest as Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen after Red Bull pass Sebastian Vettel
Follow the latest from the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore
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Your support makes all the difference.Lewis Hamilton started the Singapore Grand Prix from a surprise pole position alongside Max Verstappen after Sebastian Vettel could only manage third in qualifying, despite looking to have the fastest car in the field.
With Hamilton 30 points ahead of Vettel in the drivers’ championship standings, the Mercedes driver knows he will leave Singapore ahead of his Ferrari rival no matter what, but on the tight and twisty streets of the Marina Bay Circuit he stands a great chance of extending hit lead in the race to a fifth world title.
But Verstappen could easily upset the party on a track that favours the Red Bull, although he heads into the start of the race with concerns over how long his Renault engine will last after gremlins emerged during practice. Vettel, starting in third, has Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside him, while Kimi Raikkonen is joined by Daniel Ricciardo on the third row.
Follow the live action below...
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What time does the race start?
The Singapore Grand Prix begins at 1:10pm BST on Sunday 16 September.
Where can I watch it?
The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 from 11:30am BST, and on Channel 4 from 12pm BST.
Starting grid
1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 36.015secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:36.334
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:36.628
4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:36.702
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:36.794
6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:36.996
7 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:37.985
8 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:38.320
9 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:38.365
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:38.588
11 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:38.641
12 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1:38.716
13 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Sauber-Ferrari 1:38.747
14 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:39.453
15 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.691
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:39.644
17 Brendon Hartley (Nzl) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.809
18 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:39.864
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams 1:41.263
20 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:41.334
**10-minute klaxon**
The drivers are all in their cockpits and completing their final preparations before the warm-up lap gets underway.
TALKING POINTSStrategy
We're looking at multiple strategies today, with most of the top 10 likely to pit twice for fresh boots and those outside of it facing a potential one-stopper. That could bring the likes of 11th-placed Alonso into play later in the race, which would never be a bad thing...
Start
The start here is crucial as it is at any street track on the calendar. If Verstappen can get ahead of Hamilton off the start, he will be exposed to the Ferrari of Vettel - a four-time winner here in Singapore. There's also the real potential for contact through turns one and two...
Safety car
Which brings us to the inevitable safety car. There has been a safety car needed at every Singapore Grand Prix since it came onto the calendar 10 years ago, and you would say it's likely to be needed again today with the faster, wider cars.
Here's how they start:
1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 36.015secs
2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:36.334
3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:36.628
4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:36.702
5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:36.794
6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:36.996
7 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:37.985
8 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:38.320
9 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:38.365
10 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:38.588
11 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:38.641
12 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1:38.716
13 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Sauber-Ferrari 1:38.747
14 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:39.453
15 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.691
16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:39.644
17 Brendon Hartley (Nzl) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.809
18 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:39.864
19 Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams 1:41.263
20 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:41.334
Latest news:
- Lewis Hamilton wins the Singapore Grand Prix
- Verstappen jumps Vettel to take second place
- Bottas finshes fourth, Raikkonen fifth and Ricciardo sixth
- Top 5: 1. HAM 2. VER 3. VET 4. BOT 5. RAI
- RET: Ocon (Lap 1)
All 20 drivers away cleanly, but the next time they do that it'll be at full pelt. Under the bright lights and mid-night sky, Hamiliton leads the field through their formation lap, and he's keeping the pace relatively quick on what is a fairly long lap of the Marina Bay Circuit.
Lap 1: Hamilton makes a neat start away and holds onto the lead, as Vettel challenges Verstappen for second. Behind...chaos! Ocon is into the wall on the exit of turn two heavily, and he's taken the right corner off. The replays show he's hit Force India teammate Perez and ended up in the wall...
SAFETY CAR!
Lap 2: Before the safety car was deployed, Vettel managed to get by Verstappen for second place by using the Ferrari's superior speed to power past on Raffles Boulevard. That's crucial for his hopes of winning, and he got the move done JUST before the safety car boards came out.
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