Singapore Grand Prix 2017 - Race Schedule and Countdown

Lewis Hamilton inherited a gift-wrapped victory at the Singapore Grand Prix after a catastrophic first-lap collision eliminated both Ferraris and Max Verstappen's Red Bull, swinging the championship dramatically in Mercedes' favor. Starting from fifth on the grid, Hamilton found himself leading after Sebastian Vettel triggered a chain-reaction crash at Turn 1 that would prove to be the decisive moment in the 2017 title race.

The drama unfolded instantly as the lights went out. Vettel, starting from pole position, squeezed Kimi Raikkonen toward the wall on the run to Turn 1 as Verstappen challenged on the inside. The resulting three-way contact sent all three cars into retirement within seconds - Vettel's aggressive move backfiring spectacularly as debris from the collision ended the race for Ferrari's championship leader and eliminated Raikkonen and Verstappen as well. Hamilton, who had made a strong start from fifth, suddenly found himself in the lead and never looked back, controlling the race to take a crucial victory. Daniel Ricciardo finished second for Red Bull, while Valtteri Bottas completed the podium for Mercedes in third.

The championship swing was seismic - from a three-point Hamilton lead to a commanding 28-point advantage in the space of one corner. Vettel's error at the worst possible moment proved to be the championship's turning point, as Ferrari's challenge would never recover from the psychological and points blow. Hamilton set the fastest lap to complete a perfect evening under the Singapore lights, while Vettel was left to rue a costly mistake that had effectively ended Ferrari's title challenge. The incident sparked fierce debate about racing room and first-lap etiquette, but the damage to Ferrari's season was already done.