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As it happenedended

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

Jack de Menezes
Sunday 16 September 2018 14:54 BST
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Formula 1: Official intro video

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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

Lap 14: Hamilton's pulled the pin! He's bolted at the front and is over two seconds ahead of Vettel within a lap, and is now setting fastest lap after fastest lap. He's trying to string out the field, given that if he pits now he'll come out last, such is the bunching up effect that has occurred.

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:41

Lap 15: Vettel pits! He's going for the undercut!

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:42

Lap 15: The call to pit Vettel was very late as the mechanics only just made it out into the box before he arrived for the soft tyres, the hardest of compounds here this weekend. Ferrari must have spotted a gap as Vettel is out into clear air, and Mercedes are responding...Hamilton pits!

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:44

Lap 16: Hamilton holds on! He's well ahead of Vettel and has Perez in-between them for good measure. Also a correction on that last post, Vettel is in fact on the ultrasofts, which won't definitely go to the end of the race, while Hamilton is on the softs that will surely see him home but are slower lap-by-lap.

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:45

Lap 17: Here comes Verstappen from the lead. Where will he filter back into the field?

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:47

Lap 18: Verstappen's ahead of Vettel!

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:48

Lap 19: Disaster for Ferrari. Not only have they lost the place to Verstappen - the laps he spent behind Perez proved crucial - but a dejected Vettel radios in to say there's "no way" the tyres will hold on until the end of the race.

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:52

Have Ferrari thrown another race away?

Sebastian Vettel loses second place to Max Verstappen 

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:52

Lap 21: Replays show that the battle between Verstappen and Vettel - which saw them emerge side-by-side with the Ferrari - was much closer than it needed to be as his Red Bull conked out twice as he left his pit box.

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:54

Lap 23: Raikkonen pits from the lead, though Hamilton is not far behind and Verstappen and Vettel also swoop by to pass the Ferrari - who only just got the front-right wheel on before he left. Ricciardo now leads,  but he's due into the pits any moment.

Jack de Menezes16 September 2018 13:57

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