Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix, the 15th round of the Formula One season, saw the end of Red Bull’s winning streak and Max Verstappen’s run of 10 consecutive victories. Verstappen started 11th on the hard tire, while Sergio Perez began in 13th place. Both drivers stayed out during the safety car period and then pitted for medium tires. Perez received a five-second penalty for a late clash with Williams’ Albon, and Verstappen extended his lead over Perez in the championship standings.
Lewis Hamilton finished in third place, moving up to third in the championship. George Russell started on the front row but lost position to Ferrari’s Leclerc at the start. Russell crashed on the final lap while in third place, attempting to overtake Norris. Hamilton had to give back a position to Russell and Norris on lap one.
Carlos Sainz started on pole for the second race in a row, with Charles Leclerc in third. Sainz managed the race and defended against Norris to secure the win. Leclerc’s race was compromised during the safety car period when he was held up in the pits due to traffic. This victory marked the first under team boss Fred Vasseur for Ferrari.
Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso was the sole driver for the team after Lance Stroll withdrew following a crash in qualifying. Alonso received a five-second penalty for crossing the white line at the pit lane entry. He served the penalty during the virtual safety car period but encountered issues with the rear jack during the pit stop. This race marked Aston Martin’s first non-scoring result of the season.
Lando Norris finished in second place, utilizing DRS and the help of former teammate Sainz to stay ahead of the chasing Mercedes. This was Norris’s third podium finish in six races.
Esteban Ocon retired on his 27th birthday due to a suspected gearbox issue, while Pierre Gasly finished in sixth place. Williams’ Logan Sargeant triggered the safety car when he hit the wall, and Alex Albon’s chances of scoring points were dashed after contact with Perez.
Kevin Magnussen scored Haas’s first point since July, finishing in tenth place. Nico Hulkenberg lost positions after pitting behind Magnussen. Guanyu Zhou started from the pit lane and had to adjust his strategy due to the safety car period. Valtteri Bottas retired for precautionary reasons.
Liam Lawson, standing in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo, secured his first points finish for AlphaTauri. Yuki Tsunoda retired on the opening lap due to damage to his car.
Overall, the Singapore Grand Prix provided an exciting race with notable performances and incidents throughout the field.
