2025 Singapore Grand Prix Preview

The streets around Marina Bay Sands will light up this weekend as the 2025 Formula 1 World Championship reaches Race 18 and the Singapore Grand Prix.

It was chaos in Baku last round as championship leader Oscar Piastri crashed midway through the opening lap, ending McLaren’s hopes of claiming the constructors’ championship.

Lando Norris, Piastri’s teammate and nearest rival could not capitalise, settling for seventh place and only four points.

Max Verstappen signalled a warning that he may finish the season with a flourish, storming home to win comfortably.

The drivers’ championship is very much alive and we could see it take another turn this weekend in the heat and humidity of Singapore.

TRACK STATS

Direction: Anti-Clockwise
Lap Distance: 4.94km
Total Laps: 62
Race Distance: 306.143km
Lap Record: 1:34.486 (2024, Daniel Ricciardo, V-CARB)
2023 Podium: Lando Norris (MCL), Max Verstappen (RBR), Oscar Piastri (MCL)
Most Event Wins: Sebastian Vettel (2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2019)

Race Winner

Could the pressure be getting to Piastri and the McLaren team after their underwhelming performance?

Those questions may be asked but that also was the first race all season where neither papaya driver finished on the podium, and just the third time Piastri had failed to finish top three.

But Max Verstappen has to smell blood in the water and there is a scenario where he can close the gap significantly over the next few races.

The Marina Bay Sands circuit is tight and unforgiving, but McLaren should be able to bounce back after last week’s disappointment.

After Piastri finished ninth in Melbourne he responded with a win in China, and I like his chances of doing that once again.

Oscar Piastri to Win @ $3.50

McLaren Winning Car @ $1.60

Podium Finish

Over the last month George Russell has been a very competitive driver, with two podiums, a fourth and two fifths from his last five starts.

Last year he posted his best finish in Singapore, a fourth place and after his second place last startI like his chances of going back to back on the podium.

George Russell Podium Finish @ $3.50

Top 6 Finish

Kimi Antonelli shook off a rough last couple of months in Baku to record his best finish since the Canadian Grand Prix, winding up in fourth.

The Mercedes cars are starting to produce some solid performances with Antonelli showing some pace, while George Russell has five straight top six finishes including a runner up in Baku.

While they are not going to pip McLaren for the constructor’s championship, they can still strike a big blow in the race for second by pulling away from Ferrari with a double top six.

Kimi Antonelli Top 6 @ $1.98

SGM: George Russell and Kimi Antonelli Top 6 @ $3.40

Points Finish

While the race organisers have tried to make some changes to the circuit to encourage more overtaking, this still remains one of those courses where qualifying will be incredibly important.

We can use two previous races as guides for how this qualifying could shake out and potentially decide the makeup of the top ten.

Those are Baku because it is a street circuit and the most recent event, plus Monaco to track which cars can navigate narrow courses well.

Yuki Tsunoda is auditioning for a seat next year and his car has the pace to get into the top ten, starting in sixth last time out.

Monaco was not his best performance in the race but he has adapted to the Red Bull recently with two top ten finishes in the last three races.

Gabriel Bortoleto went close to the points last week, finishing 11^th but still carries a strong form line into this event, with four top tens in his last seven starts.

Finally, Esteban Ocon has had a less than ideal last two weeks, but we shouldn’t forget how he has produced at times this year and he looks over the odds at his price.