12 October 2026 13:00 (UTC)
Works of art, stars dropping by, and a strong finish: catch up on a busy Marina Bay weekend
Allow us to take you behind the scenes of the Singapore Grand Prix and deep into the paddock, with our regular post-race wrap-up. Covering all the action you might have missed, we'll explore everything from the outfits that caught our attention to the strongest snaps and the standout quotes.
Night racing in Singapore is always a stunning spectacle, and Round 17 of the 2026 season was no exception.
The final instalment of a quickfire triple-header saw us gain points on the track while, as ever, there was plenty going on off it. From stardust being sprinkled in the garage to local art heritage decorating our drivers’ helmets, let’s go inside the paddock at Marina Bay…
We never take the support we receive across the globe for granted, and this weekend gave us a wholesome reminder of how many fans are in our corner.
Ahead of Sunday's Grand Prix, we received a special delivery to the paddock: beautiful postcards featuring messages of support from members of the Papaya Family.
Elsewhere, Lando and Oscar’s lids were again attracting plenty of admiring glances this weekend, the latest in a statement collection this season.
Designed and crafted by local artists in tribute to Peranakan heritage in Singapore, both drivers looked the part.
Just don’t ask Lando to blind measure it…
Oscar, however, understood the assignment.
As might have been expected, the first night race of the 2026 season threw up no shortage of sizzling snaps, with Singapore’s street circuit doubtlessly among the annual highlights for the travelling photographers.
This picture of the MCL40 and its reflection glistening in the Singapore night sky was a particular standout.
The Singapore Collection has gone down a treat with McLaren fans, and the drivers were rocking it themselves over the weekend. Our favourite fit was Oscar’s on Saturday, when he paired the black-and-papaya Singapore-inspired football jersey with black jeans.
We always enjoy rolling out the red carpet for esteemed garage guests, and this weekend was no different.
Bollywood superstar Kareena Kapoor Khan, who has won six Filmfare awards, joined us for Friday’s FP1 and Sprint Qualifying action, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the action as well as making a masala chai for Lando.
Kareena’s husband, Saif Ali Khan, played a racing driver in the 2007 film Ta Ra Rum Pum – which led Lando to joke that ‘we are the same’.
On Sunday, it was the turn of a 13-time NBA All-Star to join us in the garage as Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade dropped in.
Dwyane has won the NBA on three occasions, and after meeting the drivers, he took part in filming some exclusive content - keep your eyes peeled for that in the run-up to the upcoming United States Grand Prix in Austin.
Oscar didn’t have it all his own way at Marina Bay, with a slow puncture threatening to leave him ruing his luck… however, once he was back on the track after that subsequent pit stop, he began to close the gap on Lewis Hamilton’s Ferrari at pace.
Lando had already passed his fellow Englishman, and soon it was Oscar’s turn to pounce, picking his moment at Turn 16 of the penultimate lap to ensure a double papaya presence inside the top five.
Another contender for this category came nearly 7,000 miles away from Singapore in Brands Hatch, Kent, where Dries Van Langendonck cemented his status as one to watch by landing the British F4 Championship title with two races to spare on Saturday.
The Belgian 16-year-old also dominated the Formula Winter Series earlier this year, and his success formed part of a brilliant weekend for the McLaren Driver Development Programme. On Sunday, Grégoire Saucy and the Number 22 car secured the LMP2 title in European Le Mans Series, after winning the final round of the Championship in Portimão.
“We’re on the same page about how we want to move this team forward, in a joint effort. I was therefore pleased with what Lando said during the final laps of the race, and I expect to see more examples of this in the future.”
You can’t change the past – and Andrea Stella is firmly looking to the future. Lando’s offer to assist Oscar in his pursuit of Hamilton during the closing stages was exactly the kind of teamwork we love at McLaren, and evidence that everyone is singing from the same papaya hymn sheet.
After a welcome weekend off, we head over the Atlantic to Austin for the United States Grand Prix – a race we last won in 2012.
That kicks off a North American swing, with trips to Mexico, Brazil and Las Vegas also on the horizon.
