Max Verstappen enjoyed the fireworks over the Marina Bay Street Circuit as he did in earlier times when his dominance was almost overwhelming. Kimi Antonelli, the upcoming Formula 1 world champion, has long been in the spotlight in Singapore. Despite fluid in the chassis and brake problems, the Mercedes driver still raced to third place in the rather unspectacular night race.
In front of the glittering backdrop of the city state, the shooting star didn't have to worry too much about Verstappen as a possible problem. The only question that remained was: What would it have meant for the World Cup campaign if the four-time champion in the Red Bull had found his way to success even earlier this season? “That would be really scary,” said Antonelli after Verstappen’s triumphant show.
It was a strange flaw that his historical track record did not include a single victory on the streets of Singapore until his 250th race. But this gap is now closed. Together with Red Bull's increase in performance, it is the clear bright spot of this season finale. It was the 73rd victory of his amazing career. Before the start of the season, no one believed he had even the slightest chance of winning the title - and then also not this remarkable comeback as the season progressed.
Antonelli can make Formula 1 history in the USA
But now, six Grands Prix before the season finale, the Dutchman is part of a sextet that at least still has a mathematical chance of winning the title. "A comforting victory for Verstappen in Singapore," commented the Spanish sports daily As, "as comforting as a plate of lentils. In a year full of electric motors, super clipping, software problems and an over-presence from Mercedes, even the average fan was able to enjoy a landslide victory for 'Mad Max' like in the old days."
The favorite for the title is Antonelli, who can become the youngest world champion in Formula 1 history at the next race in two weeks in the USA. At just 20 years old, the Mercedes driver would replace Sebastian Vettel, who was 23 years old when he won his first triumph with Red Bull in 2010.
"If you look at the numbers and calculate the probability of his success, it's probably almost 100 percent. But it's motorsport, you can have a breakdown, you can have accidents, and then it could get exciting," said Mercedes team boss Toto Wolff about the tangible World Cup triumph for his young star.
The World Cup standings are as follows: Antonelli (340 points), Russell (238), Hamilton (229), Verstappen (221) as well as Charles Leclerc (215) and Lando Norris (201). Ideally, a driver can still score 150 points, as a win brings in 25 points. After the Grand Prix in the USA in Austin, Antonelli needs at least a 125 point lead for the early title.
If there is a tie between drivers at the end of the season, the number of victories will determine the title. Antonelli has already won eight races. Only Russell, his closest rival, could overtake him with three successes.
And: If Formula 1 decides by the time of the USA race that the last two Grand Prix in Qatar and Abu Dhabi cannot be held because of the Iran war and are replaced by Imola as the finale, Antonelli would only need a 100-point lead after the event in Austin for the early title.
In this case, Leclerc and Norris would already be out as World Cup opponents. And Antonelli, in turn, could afford to lose a maximum of two points to Russell, eleven to Hamilton and 19 to Verstappen in the USA.
In conjunction with Verstappen, Red Bull is a rocket again
You can dream a little bit about reaching the summit on the flight home, right? "Absolutely. I know it's very close. I know it's within reach, but I have to make sure I continue to do my best," said Antonelli, who secured third place with an excellent performance in Singapore including a strong overtaking maneuver against Hamilton shortly before the end. “The attitude is always the same: go out, win and give your best performance.”
This mentality unites him with Verstappen. The 29-year-old has already been world champion four times. What also sets him apart is how he can always turn the development of the car in the right direction with Red Bull. After a miserable first half of the season, Verstappen fought his way to 112 points after the summer break. Only Antonelli won more in six races during this period (121).
The new aerodynamic package since Baku at the end of September has made the RB22 a rocket again in conjunction with Verstappen. At Mercedes, on the other hand, they don't yet fully understand the peculiarities of their further development.
“Our car has really taken a nice step forward,” said Verstappen, whose victory map in the current Formula 1 is only missing Madrid after the success in Singapore. "It's just easier to drive and more predictable. That's exactly what I wanted and needed from the car to take that final step and fight at the front." Like in old times. Verstappen does “exactly what Max Verstappen tends to do: he wins from pole position,” commented the English newspaper “Daily Mail”. A week after his first win of the season in Malaysia, the resurgent Verstappen delivered a perfect weekend with success in the sprint and pole position. Without much effort, he confidently kept his pursuer Charles Leclerc in his Ferrari at bay.
How did Red Bull turn things around? Since the sudden departure of long-time team boss Christian Horner in the summer of 2025, there has been calm again in the racing team. It was now “less stressful,” said Verstappen. No more secondary theaters of war. Instead, a grounded team leader in Laurent Mekies with a rich engineering background.
Verstappen's new bloom must be a warning to the competition. There will be no more upgrades at Red Bull this year. The focus is on developing the car for 2027. The problems with Verstappen's radio should also be resolved by then. They have been with him all season, but in Singapore it was extreme.
During the race, Verstappen's voice over the radio sometimes sounded like a stuttering robot. Communication was disrupted. His race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase, who was allowed onto the podium with the star for the ceremony, resorted to a code: At some point, Verstappen should simply no longer answer anything, but instead use the switches on the steering wheel to give answers. That also succeeded. World class without words.
