Max Verstappen may have dominated the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, winning both Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's main race, but it was Ferrari and ZYN who emerged with the strongest result in the Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship. Charles Leclerc reduced Lewis Hamilton's advantage at the top of our unofficial drivers' standings, while McLaren and VELO suffered another frustrating weekend that allowed Ferrari to extend its lead in the teams' competition.
After the rain, software problems and controversy of the previous weekend in Malaysia, Formula 1 arrived in Singapore for another demanding race weekend, this time featuring a Sprint. The tight Marina Bay street circuit promised little room for error, and both races delivered plenty of drama.
A Wet Sprint Brings Success for Ferrari and ZYN
Saturday's Sprint began in difficult conditions after heavy rain delayed the start by around half an hour. George Russell initially took the lead from pole-sitter Verstappen, only to crash out at the end of the opening lap, handing the advantage back to the Red Bull driver. Verstappen controlled the remainder of the race, finishing ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc, who secured second and third for Ferrari.
It was an excellent start to the weekend for the ZYN pairing. Hamilton collected seven points and Leclerc six, adding 13 points to Ferrari's total before Sunday's Grand Prix.
McLaren and VELO had a considerably less enjoyable afternoon. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri were battling for fourth and fifth on the final lap when Norris attempted an overtake at Turn 5. The resulting collision sent both cars spinning, with Piastri retiring and Norris eventually finishing eighth. Instead of collecting a potentially valuable haul of points, VELO's two drivers managed just one between them. The incident was particularly costly given how much ground McLaren had already lost to Ferrari in recent races.
Cadillac and 77 also endured a disappointing Sprint, with both Valtteri Bottas and Sergio Pérez retiring.
Verstappen Dominates Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix
Having already won the Sprint, Verstappen secured pole position for the Grand Prix and maintained his advantage despite an aggressive challenge from Leclerc at the first corner. The Red Bull driver gradually established a comfortable lead, eventually taking victory by 7.335 seconds. It was his first Singapore Grand Prix win, his 73rd career victory and his second consecutive Grand Prix success following Malaysia.
Behind him, Leclerc delivered another strong performance for Ferrari and ZYN. Although unable to match Verstappen's pace, he secured second place and another 18 points, continuing the run of results that has transformed his position in our championship.
Hamilton's afternoon was considerably more frustrating. Starting third, he remained in podium contention for much of the race, but his decision not to make a second pit stop left him struggling on badly worn tyres. Leclerc, Kimi Antonelli, Norris and Piastri all passed Hamilton during the closing stages, dropping him to sixth. What had looked like another strong result for ZYN's championship leader ended with just eight points from the Grand Prix.
For McLaren and VELO, Sunday's race offered some consolation after the Sprint collision. Norris finished fourth and Piastri fifth, collecting 22 points between them, although Ferrari's second and sixth places were still worth 26. Antonelli completed the podium in third, extending his lead in the official Formula 1 Drivers' Championship, while Verstappen's return to winning form continued to reshape the wider season.
Leclerc Moves Within 14 Points of Hamilton
The most important consequence of Singapore for the Snus Vikings championship is the shrinking gap between Ferrari's two drivers.
Hamilton arrived with a 23-point advantage over Leclerc, but the combination of Saturday's Sprint and Sunday's Grand Prix saw Leclerc outscore his team-mate by nine points. Hamilton remains the leader on 229 points, but Leclerc is now just 14 behind on 215. Norris remains third for McLaren and VELO with 201, also 14 points behind Leclerc.
Piastri has increased his total to 138, while Bottas remains without a point for Cadillac and 77.
Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Drivers' Championship – After Singapore
| Position | Driver | Editorial pairing | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari / ZYN | 229 |
| 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari / ZYN | 215 |
| 3 | Lando Norris | McLaren / VELO | 201 |
| 4 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren / VELO | 138 |
| 5 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac / 77 | 0 |
The contrast with the situation earlier in the season is striking. Following the Spanish Grand Prix, Norris was just five points behind Hamilton and McLaren appeared to be closing rapidly on Ferrari.
Now Leclerc has overtaken Norris and established himself as Hamilton's closest challenger. Although Hamilton still has the advantage, the battle between the two ZYN drivers is becoming one of the most interesting aspects of our competition.
Ferrari and ZYN Increase Their Teams' Advantage to 105 Points
Singapore was another profitable weekend for Ferrari and ZYN in the teams' standings.
Hamilton and Leclerc collected 39 points between them across the Sprint and Grand Prix, compared with 23 for Norris and Piastri. That increased Ferrari's lead over McLaren from 89 to 105 points.
Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Teams' Championship – After Singapore
| Position | Editorial pairing | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ferrari / ZYN | 444 |
| 2 | McLaren / VELO | 339 |
| 3 | Cadillac / 77 | 0 |
It is a remarkable turnaround from the Spanish Grand Prix, when McLaren and VELO had reduced Ferrari's advantage to just 52 points. Since then, strong performances from both Ferrari drivers, combined with inconsistent McLaren results, have seen that lead more than double.
Cadillac and 77 remain third without a point. Pérez finished Sunday's race in 17th, with Bottas 19th, leaving the team still searching for its first breakthrough.
Next Stop: Austin
The championship now moves to the United States Grand Prix at Austin on 23–25 October, where Ferrari and ZYN will be looking to consolidate their commanding teams' lead.
For McLaren and VELO, the priority will be recovering the consistency that made them such serious challengers earlier in the season. Another weekend like Singapore would make their task increasingly difficult.
The drivers' competition, however, remains much more open. Hamilton's advantage has fallen to just 14 points, Leclerc is enjoying an impressive run of form, and Norris is still close enough to threaten both Ferrari drivers if McLaren can rediscover its pace.
Verstappen may have been Singapore's undisputed winner, but for the Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship, the biggest story is the growing battle between Hamilton and Leclerc at the front.
The Snus Vikings Nicotine Pouch Formula 1 Championship is an independent, unofficial editorial ranking of selected drivers using their actual Formula 1 results.
