F1 2025 Singapore GP LIVE: Race start time, updates, grid and stream – UK Times

“Sector two is quite wet, sector one and three is dry side, it won’t be easy. It’s an opportunity.”

Performed by Singapore Airlines crew and the Voices of Singapore at the front of the grid.

“It feels dry but sector two still a bit of standing water. I think the inter will be faster for one lap, there’ll still be another half-an-hour until the race.”

On issues with car: “Not enough downforce, not the best day yesterday but it’s a long race.

“It’s always a challenge to race here, we need to overtake – it’s always tricky but we’ll give it our best shot.”

Ahead of round 18 this weekend in Singapore, there are 346 points left to play for. McLaren’s lead currently stands at 333 points over Mercedes.

Therefore, McLaren will seal the title this weekend if they simply score 13 points. Thus, a podium for either Norris or Piastri will be enough.

Ferrari can also catch McLaren statistically, so McLaren will become champions if the papaya:

• Not outscored by Mercedes by 31 points or more
• Not outscored by Ferrari by 35 points or more

Stalling on the start line in his rookie year, 2015 gave Max Verstappen his first indication that the Marina Bay Street Circuit may be his trickiest nut to crack in F1. A decade ago, the 18-year-old, driving for Red Bull’s sister team, Toro Rosso, stormed back to eighth from a lap down before defiantly screaming “No!” to his team when asked to let teammate Carlos Sainz past. It’s fair to say we’ve seen numerous instances of non-compliance a fair few times in the years since.

Two years on, Verstappen would be sandwiched between two Ferraris and powerless to a collision with Kimi Raikkonen, in F1’s first-ever wet race at night in 2017, which brought about one of the most chaotic start procedures in recent history. In 2022, a fuel quantity mishap in qualifying ruined the Dutchman’s weekend, while a year later, Singapore was the only race Red Bull failed to win amid an otherwise peerless F1 campaign. Verstappen couldn’t even finish on the podium, having to settle for fifth.

And so to 2025: a year in which Verstappen has emerged from a position of nothingness to an outside contender for the world championship.

On weather: “It’s unpredictable here, it’ll dry up pretty quick.”

On race start: “In dry conditions, I’m not expecting anything to happen, but it could be an interesting start like 2017. It’ll make it a longer race.

“I think we’re in for a really good chance, it’ll be around the pit-stops, whoever makes that decision on the perfect lap.”

The dust of ruthlessness had barely settled for 24 hours before Liam Lawson made his feelings known. Brutally ousted from Red Bull after two races this season – the shortest ever stint in a full-time Formula One seat – the New Zealander posted on Instagram a drawing from his childhood, depicting him as an F1 driver decked in blue. “It’s what I’ve worked towards my whole life,” the caption read.

Only the most unsympathetic of observers could not have felt a dose of compassion. But now, for the first time in his disorderly F1 career, the 23-year-old is settled. In fact, Lawson is in the midst of a fine stretch of form for Red Bull’s sister team, Racing Bulls, and comes into this weekend in Singapore off the back of a career-best fifth place in Azerbaijan last time out. The only question now, with a 2026 seat far from certain, is: how long will that last?

“Depends how good my start is, we’ll see what happens – will try and take the opportunity if it comes up.”