Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Latest as Lewis Hamilton leads Max Verstappen after Red Bull pass Sebastian Vettel

Follow the latest from the Marina Bay Circuit in Singapore

Formula 1: Official intro video

Lewis Hamilton started the Singapore Grand Prix from a surprise pole position alongside Max Verstappen after Sebastian Vettel could only manage third in qualifying, despite looking to have the fastest car in the field.

With Hamilton 30 points ahead of Vettel in the drivers’ championship standings, the Mercedes driver knows he will leave Singapore ahead of his Ferrari rival no matter what, but on the tight and twisty streets of the Marina Bay Circuit he stands a great chance of extending hit lead in the race to a fifth world title.

But Verstappen could easily upset the party on a track that favours the Red Bull, although he heads into the start of the race with concerns over how long his Renault engine will last after gremlins emerged during practice. Vettel, starting in third, has Hamilton’s teammate Valtteri Bottas alongside him, while Kimi Raikkonen is joined by Daniel Ricciardo on the third row.

Follow the live action below...

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What time does the race start?

The Singapore Grand Prix begins at 1:10pm BST on Sunday 16 September.

Where can I watch it?

The race will be shown live on Sky Sports F1 from 11:30am BST, and on Channel 4 from 12pm BST.

Starting grid

1 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1min 36.015secs

2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:36.334

3 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:36.628

4 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:36.702

5 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:36.794

6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:36.996

7 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:37.985

8 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:38.320

9 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:38.365

10 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:38.588

11 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:38.641

12 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Renault 1:38.716

13 Charles Leclerc (Mon) Sauber-Ferrari 1:38.747

14 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:39.453

15 Pierre Gasly (Fra) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.691

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:39.644

17 Brendon Hartley (Nzl) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:39.809

18 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:39.864

19 Sergey Sirotkin (Rus) Williams 1:41.263

20 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:41.334

Key Points

• The Singapore Grand Prix starts at 1:10pm BST
• Race is being shown live on Sky Sports and Channel 4
• Lewis Hamilton starts from pole position ahead of Max Verstappen
• Sebastian Vettel could only manage third in a disappointing qualifying session

[16 September 2018 15:18 · Jack de Menezes]

[16 September 2018 15:26 · Jack de Menezes]

That's all from our coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix. Stayed tuned on Independent Sport for all the latest reaction, as Lewis Hamilton takes another giant stride towards a fifth world championship.

The F1 circus moves on to the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi in two weeks' time, with just six races left this season for Sebastian Vettel to haul in the runaway championship leader.

Thanks for joining us.