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Robbie Von’s F1 – Singapore Grand Prix Preview

Posted on | Posted by Robbie Von

THEY’RE CALLING IT A DISGRACE. I’M CALLING IT CINEMA.

Max Verstappen has his first win of 2026. And he got it in one of the strangest, most chaotic Grands Prix you will ever see. Plenty of people are filthy about it. I loved every minute.

WHAT ON EARTH HAPPENED IN MALAYSIA

Rain at Sepang, a delayed start, and then the race simply fell apart. Verstappen and Hamilton both radioed in with no acceleration. Hamilton actually came to a stop on the back straight while Ferrari told him they were working on a software issue. Lawson couldn’t get off the grid. Hadjar was driving through the gravel. Cars ended up on different laps while running behind the Safety Car.

Turns out it was a genuine computer glitch. The FIA blamed an unprecedented combination of low engine speed, low grip, wet weather energy settings and Sepang’s layout, which caused an unintended loss of power across multiple cars. Nobody caught it in testing. They pushed a software patch out to every team during the rain delay and restarted the thing. A full FIA review is now underway and the word disgrace has been thrown around plenty. Look, it shouldn’t happen. But as a spectacle? Unbelievable television. You could not look away.

MAX IS BACK

Verstappen won it, and we told you he would at $6.50. Eight podiums without a win all year and he finally broke through on a day where keeping the thing pointed straight was half the battle. Lovely bit of symmetry too. Max won the last F1 race ever held at Sepang back in 2017. Nine years later F1 returns and he wins that one as well.  Antonelli second, Hamilton third, Leclerc fourth. Hadjar fifth and still flying since his comeback.

And don’t skip past what Hamilton did. He dropped a full minute behind the leaders at one stage, then was the only driver who didn’t take a cheap stop under the safety car. He stayed out on softs, climbed back through the field and took Hadjar for the podium with three laps left. He called it bittersweet and admitted he never thought he’d get back to third. That Ferrari has genuine pace right now.

HEARTBREAK FOR RUSSELL

George Russell was sitting third and nailed on for a podium when he pulled over during a late Safety Car. Suspected power unit failure. His third DNF of the season. He didn’t hide from it afterwards. He called it another failure when a podium was certain, said it has happened too many times this season, and when asked straight out whether his title hopes were gone, he said yes. His word for the year was relentless.

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Antonelli: 320 points. Russell: 236. Hamilton: 214. Leclerc: 191. Norris and Verstappen: 188 each. Eighty-four points with seven races left. TABtouch have Antonelli at $1.01 for the title.

AND THE BEST STORY OF THE WEEK

Valtteri Bottas is cycling to Singapore. Not flying. Not Driving. Cycling.

The 37-year-old set off from Sepang on Sunday evening and is riding roughly 350km to Marina Bay on a cyclocross bike, largely on gravel and dirt roads, tracking the whole thing on Strava. He knocked over 35 miles the first night, slept two hours on the roadside, then did another 100 miles on Monday.

Meanwhile Charles Leclerc’s flight was turned back because he missed his landing slot thanks to the 90 minute race delay, leaving him to do a four hour road trip instead. One bloke chose the hard way. The other had it chosen for him. Ouch!

SINGAPORE. AND A FIRST.

Marina Bay this Sunday, and for the first time ever it’s a Sprint weekend. One practice session, then Sprint Qualifying Friday, the Sprint and Qualifying Saturday, race Sunday. Less preparation at the most unforgiving circuit on the calendar.

Nineteen corners, concrete walls on both sides, 62 laps and over 1,100 corners in a race. Only Monaco has a slower average speed. Drivers can lose three kilos across a night. Every Singapore Grand Prix up to 2024 featured at least one safety car.

Russell won here last year from pole, which gives him something to hang on to.

THE TEAMS

Red Bull

Verstappen is favourite at $3.00 and $1.30 Top 3. First time he has headed a market all season, and here’s the kicker. Marina Bay is the only circuit on the current calendar Max has never won at. He’s won at the other 23. He was second here last year, which denied him a full set of victories at every active track, something only one driver in history has ever managed. He’s never even been on pole or had fastest lap here. If he’s going to tick it off, now is the time. Hadjar at $13.00 is flying too.

Mercedes

Antonelli at $4.25 and $1.35 Top 3. Russell at $7.00 and $2.25 Top 3 is the defending winner here and owed some luck.

Ferrari

Hamilton and Leclerc both $7.00 and $2.25 Top 3. Hamilton holds the Marina Bay lap record, he is third in the championship and climbing, and that comeback in Malaysia showed the Ferrari has real speed. At $7.00 he is my play of the weekend.

McLaren

Norris at $9.00, Piastri at $17.00. Level on points with Verstappen and neither has looked right for a month.

PLAYS FOR THIS WEEKEND

Max Verstappen to Win – $3.00 (the only current track he’s never won at)

Lewis Hamilton to Win – $7.00 (that Ferrari is quick and Lewis has won here 4 times)

Kimi Antonelli Top 3 – $1.35 (The boy is flying)

Isack Hadjar Top 3 – $3.00 (Red Bull is back, so good value if with some luck)

A night race, a Sprint weekend, walls everywhere and a safety car almost guaranteed. After last week, strap in.

Happy punting!

Odds correct at time of publication. TABtouch markets available now.




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