Singapore GP fallout: no penalty for Antonelli's track limits as Hamilton apologises to Ferrari for strategy

The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix produced a clear winner in Max Verstappen, but the talking points the morning after centred on the stewards' room, Ferrari's pit wall and Mercedes' frustrated title chaser. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli escaped without a penalty for repeated track-limits breaches, Lewis Hamilton apologised over the radio for a strategy call he made himself, and George Russell described his recovery to ninth as typical of his year. This follows our race report on Sunday's result.

Antonelli keeps third despite black-and-white flag

Antonelli struggled with his brakes for much of the night at Marina Bay. Mercedes said the problem appeared to be heat soak, and the team reported that pedal response later improved. Before the race, a brake issue was also spotted on his car on the grid but appeared resolved by the start.

While fighting the car, the Italian ran beyond track limits several times and was shown the black-and-white warning flag, which normally signals that the next offence brings a penalty. No penalty followed. FIA guidelines allow an exception when a driver leaves the track after a clear loss of control, and Antonelli put his lock-ups down to the brake problem. The decision has been questioned by some observers, who point to past cases, including Antonelli's own five-second penalty at Silverstone this year after repeated off-track moments. Antonelli finished more than 15 seconds clear of Norris in fourth, so even a five-second penalty would not have cost him his podium.

Stewards clear Hamilton over Norris battle

Hamilton was investigated for leaving the track and gaining an advantage while defending from Lando Norris at the first chicane. The stewards took no further action, finding that Norris had also left the track during his attempted pass and that the cars rejoined in the correct order.

Hamilton takes the blame for Ferrari's strategy

The bigger story for Ferrari was strategy. Hamilton made an early stop for soft tyres and then chose not to pit again when a Virtual Safety Car offered a cheaper stop. His tyres faded, and he slipped from second to sixth as Charles Leclerc, Antonelli, Norris and Oscar Piastri all passed him. Over team radio he accepted it was his call, telling the team he had let them down with that strategy and would try to make up for it at the next race. Leclerc's second place still delivered a solid haul for the Scuderia.

Russell: 'story of the season'

Russell started 19th after taking grid penalties for new power unit components. He climbed into the points but could not pass Nico Hülkenberg's Audi for eighth and, in the final laps, decided the risk was not worth it. His first stop also coincided with a Virtual Safety Car that ended before he could gain much from it. Russell called the weekend "a little bit story of the season" and said he expects another engine penalty later in the year, possibly in Las Vegas. Mercedes' priority, he said, is to improve the car, with Verstappen and Red Bull stronger in recent races.

Pit-lane starters and reliability

Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar all started from the pit lane after changes made under parc ferme. Hadjar recovered to tenth. Gabriel Bortoleto, Stroll and Franco Colapinto failed to finish, and Alex Albon stopped late but was classified.

Key takeaways

• Antonelli received a black-and-white flag for track limits but no penalty, keeping third.
• Stewards took no further action against Hamilton after his battle with Norris.
• Hamilton apologised to Ferrari for choosing not to make a second stop.
• Russell expects another engine penalty later in 2026, possibly in Las Vegas.

FAQ

Why was Antonelli not penalised in Singapore? Stewards did not issue a penalty despite his black-and-white flag. FIA guidelines exempt off-track moments caused by a clear loss of control, and Antonelli blamed brake problems.

Was Hamilton penalised in the Singapore Grand Prix? No. Stewards investigated him for leaving the track while defending from Norris but took no further action.

Will George Russell take another grid penalty? Russell said he expects a second engine penalty later in the season, possibly at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Sources: Formula1.com, Sky Sports, GrandPrix.com, GPKingdom