MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT, SINGAPORE — The Formula 1 season has arrived at its premier night race, with reigning champion and runaway championship leader Max Verstappen looking set to see his Grand Prix winning streak end at 10.
Carlos Sainz of Ferrari is the man on pole for a second race running, but this time the Spaniard does not have Verstappen breathing down his neck. Indeed, no Red Bull is in sight at all: after winning 14/14 Grands Prix this year between the Dutchman and Sergio Perez, both drivers were eliminated in Q2 yesterday.
P11 is the grid spot Verstappen will need to try and make a remarkable comeback from if he is to rack up an 11th straight victory, although he said in the Paddock on Saturday that he had no chance, due to the lack of overtaking opportunities in the sweltering heat of downtown Singapore.
After an almighty thud into the barriers on the final turn of the track in Q1, Lance Stroll has been forced out of today’s race. Aston Martin confirmed in a statement this morning: “The team face a huge job repairing the car today and understandably Lance is still sore following such a high impact. Lance’s focus now shifts to fully recovering ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix.”
Mercedes’ George Russell will begin proceedings as Sainz’s closest challenger, while Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris follow on the second row. They will tackle a modified challenge to previous seasons here, with four corners of sector three having been removed from this year onwards, due to a new outdoor venue being built on the stunning Marina Bay.
The Sporting News is live from the Singapore paddock, with updates from the Grand Prix below.
WATCH: F1’s Singapore Grand Prix live in the U.S. with Fubo (free trial)
F1 live updates, results from Singapore Grand Prix
50 mins to lights out: It’s a landmark day for Sergio Perez, who will make his 250th Grand Prix start today. The Mexican will become the 11th driver in F1 history to hit that mark. ‘Checo’ has won six races thus far, one of which came here in Singapore last year, while he has stood on the highest step of the podium twice in 2023.
1 hour 10 mins to lights out: In the 14-race history of the Singapore Grand Prix, Mercedes and Red Bull are tied for the most victories with four apiece. Sebastian Vettel holds the drivers’ record, also with four (splitting those between his stints at Red Bull and Ferrari). Four is also the magic number for most pole positions, with Vettel sharing that particular record with Lewis Hamilton.
1 hour 30 mins to lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News’ live coverage of the spectacular street race which takes place along Marina Bay. Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time king of F1, will start back in P5 and has already written off his chances of glory this evening, with the British superstar bemoaning his car setup while praising Russell’s ability to get to grips with it.
F1 Singapore Grand Prix starting grid
| Position | Driver |
|---|---|
| 1 | Carlos Sainz |
| 2 | George Russell |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc |
| 4 | Lando Norris |
| 5 | Lewis Hamilton |
| 6 | Kevin Magnussen |
| 7 | Fernando Alonso |
| 8 | Esteban Ocon |
| 9 | Nico Hulkenberg |
| 10 | Liam Lawson |
| 11 | Max Verstappen |
| 12 | Pierre Gasly |
| 13 | Sergio Perez |
| 14 | Alex Albon |
| 15 | Yuki Tsunoda |
| 16 | Valtteri Bottas |
| 17 | Oscar Piastri |
| 18 | Logan Sargeant |
| 19 | Zhou Guanyu |
| 20 | Lance Stroll |
F1 2023 schedule: What time is the Singapore Grand Prix?
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | India | |
| Date | Sun, September 17 | Sun, September 17 | Sun, September 17 | Sun, September 17 | Sun, September 17 |
| Time | 1 p.m. BST | 8 a.m. ET | 8 a.m. ET | 10 p.m. AEST | 5:30 p.m. IST |
F1 Singapore Grand Prix TV channel
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | India | |
| TV Channel | Sky Sports F1 | ESPN2 | TSN (English); RDS (French) | Fox Sports | N/A |
F1 Singapore Grand Prix live stream
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | India | |
| Live Stream | NOW TV / Sky Go app | ESPN+, Fubo | TSN Direct | Kayo | F1 TV Pro |
