Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton falls behind Ferrari duo Leclerc and Vettel

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton are set to battle it out (Image: GETTY)

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

  • Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc starts on pole for the third race in a row
  • Lewis Hamilton is second, with Ferrari team-mate Sebastian Vettel in third
  • Max Verstappen is down in fourth following a disappointing time in qualifying
  • The Singapore Grand Prix has 61 laps and live updates will be right here

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

36 LAPS COMPLETED: Daniel Ricciardo dropping back down as he makes contact with Giovinazzi and suffers a puncture. Race control having a look. Vettel’s lead over team-mate Leclerc at over four seconds. Now we have George Russell in the wall after he tangles with Grosjean. And the Safety Car is deployed.

33 LAPS COMPLETED: And Vettel takes the lead as he overtakes Giovinazzi. Leclerc up to second while Hamilton is now fourth, also behind Verstappen.

30 LAPS COMPLETED: Sebastian Vettel battling well through the traffic as Antonio Giovinazzi leads the race (he’s yet to pit). Vettel back up to second after some slight contact with Gasly.

26 LAPS COMPLETED: Lewis Hamilton enters the pits but comes out behind the Ferraris, though ahead of team-mate Bottas.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton took the lead

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton took the lead (Image: GETTY)

25 LAPS COMPLETED: Bottas goes into the pits and the Ferrari duo get ahead of him. Leader Lewis Hamilton now says his tyres “aren’t great” but he’s still out there.

22 LAPS COMPLETED: Leclerc loses his position as he comes out behind team-mate Vettel. Hamilton still out there with the championship leader saying his tyres feel good.

20 LAPS COMPLETED: Vettel and Verstappen pit as we have our first changes in the top six. Vettel comes out ahead of Hulkenberg but Verstappen is behind. Charles Leclerc then comes in as Lewis Hamilton takes the lead.

18 LAPS COMPLETED: Raikkonen now pits. Charles Leclerc given a message to “push” and he extends his lead over Hamilton to over two seconds, for a short while at least as the Brit battles back.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE (Image: GETTY)

15 LAPS COMPLETED: Kyvat enters the pits to change his tyres. It’s a crammed circuit so don’t expect any of the racers at the front to go in just yet. Perez is next for a tyre change.

12 LAPS COMPLETED: Daniel Ricciardo having a stormer as he’s up to 12th. We wait for some action at the front with Leclerc maintaining his lead and Lewis Hamilton second.

9 LAPS COMPLETED: As you were at the front. We are waiting for one of the big guns to make their move. Christian Horner describes it as “like a lot of boxers dancing around the ring”.

6 LAPS COMPLETED: Top six as they were at the start with Daniel Ricciardo up to 14th. Hamilton trying to close the gap on Leclerc but there’s not many opportunities on this Singapore track.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc built on his pole position

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc built on his pole position (Image: GETTY)

3 LAPS COMPLETED: Hulkenberg has to go into the pits early as does Geirge Russell and Carlos Sainz. Sainz spends over a minute in the pits. At the other end, Hamilton has opened a gap on Vettel and is now trying to close on Leclerc.

1 LAP COMPLETED: Hamilton defending for his life as Leclerc builds on his lead. Ricciardo already up to 16th from his last-placed start. Good start for Kevin Magnussen too.

GO, GO, GO: Lights out and off they go. Good start from the front three as Leclerc keeps his lead. Vettel battling Hamilton with Ferrari showing early speed.

13.10: The cars are on their way for the formation lap and we are just moments away from the start of the Singapore Grand Prix.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE (Image: GETTY)

13.00: Live stream details

Of course we would rather you stay here for your latest updates, but here’s how to watch the race.

Coverage of today’s Singapore Grand Prix is shown live on Sky Sports F1 (Sky 406, Sky HD 472, Virgin 516) and Sky Sports Main Event (Sky 401, Sky HD 435, Virgin 511, BT 402).

This means that all the action can be followed on your desktop or laptop via the Sky Go app.

It is available to download on iOS and Android smartphone and tablet devices.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton will start the race in second

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton will start the race in second (Image: GETTY)

12.50: Hamilton shock

Charles Leclerc was surprised by Ferrari’s pace, but so was current world championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

“We obviously came into the weekend knowing we would have a fight with the Red Bulls,” he said.

“And it’s just knowing how the Ferraris have been in other places with high downforce, they’ve not been so strong – Budapest for example – and all of a sudden they’ve brought an upgrade here and it seems to have worked.

“Of course we were not expecting to have such a strong performance from them and to have that deficit to them. I like how close it was between us all and hopefully that puts us in good stead for more good fights.”

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE (Image: GETTY)

12.40: Concentration needed

With just 30 minutes until ‘GO’, the drivers will be getting mentally prepared.

It’s hot and humid out there and we are likely to be racing for close to the two-hour limit.

With 23 corners, each driver needs to be fully focused at all times with Martin Brundle sending a fierce warning.

He said: “It’s a race of attrition here: to finish first, first you must finish.”

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc starts on pole

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc starts on pole (Image: GETTY)

12.30: Qualifying recap

So we know Charles Leclerc is on pole with Lewis Hamilton second, but how did it happen?

Well Leclerc put in a scintillating lap under the lights, racing round in 1.36.217.

Hamilton was 0.191 seconds slower with Sebastian Vettel in third.

Daniel Ricciardo was set to start eight but was disqualified because of a technical infringement. He will now start last.

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: The Marina Bay Street Circuit

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: The Marina Bay Street Circuit (Image: GETTY)

12.20: Track information

The Marina Bay Street Circuit has hosted the Singapore Grand Prix since 2008.

It’s a course length of just over 5km and we are set for 61 laps of racing.

Ahead of the race it was announced that a third DRS zone would be added between turns 13 and 14, down the Esplanade Drive, to aid overtaking.

There are 23 corners in all but don’t expect to see too many collisions. Though there has never been a Singapore GP without a Safety Car…

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton won the race in 2018

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Lewis Hamilton won the race in 2018 (Image: GETTY)

12.10: Last five Singapore winners

Lewis Hamilton has been victorious for each of the past two years in Singapore.

2014: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

2015: Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari

2016: Nico Rosberg, Mercedes

2017: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

2018: Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Charles Leclerc is on pole, with Lewis Hamilton qualifying in second (Image: GETTY)

12.00: Leclerc surprised

Charles Leclerc starts on pole today, but even he has been shocked by the pace of his Ferrari this weekend.

“Very surprised, because even though we knew there was a bit more to come yesterday we did not expect to challenge neither the Mercedes nor the Red Bulls,” Leclerc said.

“It’s quite a big surprise for the whole team but it just proves how good a job they have done back at the factory and today it’s also thanks to them if we are on pole.”

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE

Singapore Grand Prix LIVE: Max Verstappen has been hailed as better than Charles Leclerc (Image: GETTY)

11.45: Verstappen better than Leclerc?

Verstappen has received the backing of former F1 driver Gerhard Berger ahead of today’s race.

“Ferrari has one of the strongest drivers for the next world championships,” Berger said this week.

“But Verstappen has been at the top of the wave for some time now. His value is huge.

“Leclerc did Formula 3 and Formula 2, while Verstappen went directly from F3 to Toro Rosso.

“In F3 they both drove for Van Amersfoort, and Verstappen did a little more there as it was his single seater debut.

“The differences between them are small, but for now Verstappen has done more than Leclerc.”

11.30: Hello and welcome!

We’re in for a superb day of racing at the Marina Bay Street Circuit with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton battling it out from the off.

Mercedes’ reigning world champion Hamilton has come out on top four times at the Singapore Grand Prix, including the last two editions of the race.

However, he faces a fight to make it five wins with in-form Ferrari driver Leclerc sure to be firing again.

Sebastian Vettel will be desperate to put a couple of awful races behind him, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen knows he can do damage on the Singapore track.

source: express.co.uk