AI-rewritten: This is a summary of an article from Ars Technica, rewritten by AI (Qwen, running locally) to make it easier to read. The facts come from the original article – read it for the full story.

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Formula 1’s 2026 season concluded with a sprint race in Singapore, where Max Verstappen won his first victory on the circuit. The event took place on Saturday night under floodlights, featuring tight turns lined by concrete barriers typical of street tracks. Before the main race, a pre-race downpour caused a thirty-minute delay for the sprint. Drivers and teams generally dislike this format due to its lack of prestige and the risk of damaging cars before the Sunday Grand Prix.

Verstappen’s Red Bull car was updated with a powerful V6 engine, leading many to consider it the fastest on the grid. During the wet sprint, George Russell crashed after touching a white line while driving wide. Verstappen took the lead but finished first due to tire management and clean air conditions. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc drove for Ferrari; Leclerc finished second, while Hamilton dropped from third to sixth after making an early pit stop on ruined tires.

Other incidents occurred during the weekend. McLaren drivers Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris made contact on the final lap of the sprint, breaking Piastri’s car and leaving Norris in eighth place. Oliver Bearman drove side-by-side with Esteban Ocon for several corners later in the season. Verstappen expressed that he does not care about finishing second, third, or fourth in the championship standings, noting that Kimi Antonelli is far ahead. He stated his primary goal is to have fun and achieve daily success.