MAX Verstappen finally checked Singapore off his Formula 1 bucket list, and a group of lucky Filipino fans got to witness the long-awaited breakthrough together.
The four-time world champion converted his 50th career pole position into victory at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, October 11, controlling the race at Marina Bay to claim his first win at the street circuit in 10 attempts.
Verstappen's milestone triumph unfolded 250 Grand Prix weekends into his F1 career, giving the Red Bull driver another landmark achievement in a season where he has continued to play catch-up to the front-runners.
READ: Verstappen bags 50th career pole, wins Singapore sprint
Thousands of kilometers away from the Singapore street circuit, Filipino F1 fans shared in the occasion at Skyline Sports and Social at Century Mall in Makati, where SPIN.ph and Esquire Philippines co-hosted a watch party that brought together motorsport enthusiasts, celebrities and members of the local media.
Sponsored by Durex Philippines, the Sunday gathering turned the race into a communal experience, with Sparkle artists and key opinion leaders joining fans to watch Verstappen finally conquer one of the few remaining venues to have eluded him.
The event was also graced by Summit Media editors PJ Caña of Esquire Philippines and Dodo Catacutan of SPIN.ph, bringing together the two publications behind the watch party.
For Verstappen, the victory was the culmination of a weekend in which he had been in control from the outset.
He won the sprint race before securing pole position in qualifying, putting himself in prime position to finally deliver at a circuit where he had previously recorded four podium finishes without a victory.
"It’s taken a while, but I think this race was very good. We had pace when we needed to have it on the soft tyre and on the medium, even though I think the medium tyre for everyone was a bit more of a struggle. It worked out, so of course I’m very happy to win here," Verstappen said.
The Dutchman still had to negotiate the opening lap carefully, defending against Ferrari's Charles Leclerc into the first corner. Once he retained the lead, however, Verstappen gradually built an advantage and managed the race from the front.
Even a radio communication problem that forced Red Bull to rely on its pit board did little to disrupt his march to the checkered flag.
Verstappen crossed the line after 62 laps in one hour, 42 minutes and 0.785 seconds, finishing 7.335 seconds ahead of Leclerc. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli completed the podium in third, 24.573 seconds behind the winner.
The victory was Verstappen's 73rd in Formula 1 and his second of the 2026 season, following his triumph at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia the previous weekend.
It also added another milestone to a career that has already delivered four world championships, with the Singapore breakthrough coming on the same weekend he joined the exclusive club of drivers with at least 50 career poles.
Verstappen had come close before, finishing runner-up in Singapore in 2018, 2024 and 2025. This time, he left little doubt, combining a strong qualifying performance with the race pace and control needed to finally stand atop the Marina Bay podium.
For Filipino fans at Skyline Sports and Social, the result provided a fitting centerpiece to a night built around the spectacle of F1: the strategy, the wheel-to-wheel battles and the shared anticipation that comes with watching a race unfold in real time.
And as Verstappen added Singapore to his list of conquered circuits, the SPIN.ph-Esquire Philippines watch party offered local fans their own memorable chapter in a sport whose global appeal continues to find an audience in the Philippines.
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