Singapore Grand Prix

Verstappen breaks his Marina Bay curse

Singapore had been the one big-name track missing from Verstappen’s résumé. Not anymore. He started from pole, held off Leclerc into Turn 1, and then simply drove away in the heat and humidity. No full safety car, no drama at the front. Just a clinic.

The turning points came behind him. Gabriel Bortoleto’s Audi stopped early with a suspected gearbox failure and caught fire, bringing out a Virtual Safety Car. Later, Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin parked at Turn 15 with a clutch problem, triggering a second one. Ferrari used that cheap pit window to give Leclerc fresh soft tyres. Lewis Hamilton, who had pitted much earlier on lap 19, was left on worn rubber.

The result was brutal for Hamilton. He had been running in podium contention. Leclerc passed him on lap 46, both McLarens followed, and he slid to sixth. On the radio he took the blame himself, saying the strategy was his call and it cost the team points.

Kimi Antonelli did what leaders do: he banked a quiet third. Teammate George Russell, his only realistic rival, started 19th after an engine penalty and clawed his way to ninth. That was a heroic drive worth just 2 points. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri finished fourth and fifth, keeping their cars apart after their collision in the rain-hit Sprint.

Title Watch

Austin could settle the title

Here’s the week-ahead headline. Antonelli now has 340 points to Russell’s 238. If he outscores his Mercedes teammate by 23 or more at the United States Grand Prix in Austin (October 23–25), the championship is over. For scale, an Antonelli win with Russell ninth in the Grand Prix would be just enough.

Why it matters to you: if you’ve been waiting to see whether this title fight goes the distance, Austin is the race to watch live. Mercedes also leads the constructors’ table by 134 points over Ferrari, so the team title is close to done too. Verstappen, now fourth on 221, is racing for pride and for wins like this one.

NASCAR Playoffs

Briscoe makes it two in a row at Charlotte

Chase Briscoe won the Bank of America 400 at Charlotte, his second straight Cup win, after holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Christopher Bell following late contact between the two. It was a messy night: pit penalties for Denny Hamlin and Ryan Blaney, a loose wheel for Chase Elliott, and a lap-77 crash that collected Bubba Wallace and William Byron. Kyle Larson won Stage 1 and Bell won Stage 2. Blaney recovered to third, ahead of Josh Berry and Hamlin. Next up: Phoenix on October 18.

Paris Motor Show

Nine Stellantis concepts and a wave of Chinese EVs

The Paris Motor Show runs October 12–18, with press day today. Stellantis is bringing the show’s biggest stand, at 5,340 square meters, with nine concept cars and more than 60 vehicles across eight brands. The highlights include Peugeot’s Polygon and Hypersquare concepts, the new E-208 GTi, the DS N°7 with up to 740 km of claimed range, the Lancia Gamma, and a surprise Citroën inspired by its most famous model.

Watch the affordable end too. Previews point to the Smart #2 small EV, the Audi A2 e-tron, and a big push from Chinese brands, including BYD, Leapmotor, Geely, Denza, and a European debut for Li Auto. For buyers, that’s the real story: more affordable small electric cars arriving in 2027.