Singapore Grand Prix with Spanish dominance by Carlos Sainz
Spanish driver Carlos Sainz clinched victory at the Singapore Grand Prix in a race filled with excitement, with the final podium positions decided in the closing moments.
Despite the Red Bull team experiencing a weekend plagued with issues, other teams seized the opportunity to provide thrilling moments on the track.
Meanwhile, Mercedes, with a chance to secure more points, saw their fate sealed as George Russell was forced out on the final lap.
Lewis Hamilton secured yet another podium finish in his career, while Charles Leclerc took the fourth spot.
Reigning champion Max Verstappen, who started from 11th place, finished fifth, and Checo Pérez earned points with his eighth-place finish.
The Singapore Grand Prix was dominated by Carlos Sainz, showcasing his prowess with a strategy that brought Ferrari close to victory. This marked Carlos Sainz’s second career win, with Lando Norris earning a well-deserved second place.
Notably, the Singapore Grand Prix broke Red Bull’s dominance, as they had been the only team to win in the 2023 season.
The Singapore Grand Prix Race Recap
Carlos Sainz took the lead as the Singapore Grand Prix began, with most drivers displaying caution.
Charles Leclerc managed to move into the second position to act as a shield for the race.
The Ferraris maintained their dominance throughout the race, while the Red Bulls managed their hard tires.
Gradually, the champion, starting 11th in the Singapore Grand Prix, made his way up to eighth place. Meanwhile, Checo Pérez struggled to advance and remained in 13th place. The race proceeded under regular conditions on a street circuit with limited overtaking opportunities.
However, an incident involving Logan Sargeant’s car led to a Safety Car intervention, and most drivers took the opportunity to pit. Red Bull’s drivers were the exceptions as they were on hard tires, and luck was on their side.
With this reshuffling, the race dynamics changed. Verstappen moved into second place, while Checo dropped to fourth. Due to high temperatures, all drivers switched to hard tires, except for Guanyu Zhou, who opted for mediums.
In the battle for fourth place, Lando Norris overtook Checo Pérez. Similarly, Lewis Hamilton passed Pérez, and further ahead, George Russell and Lando Norris managed to overtake Max Verstappen. This was the state of the Singapore Grand Prix by lap 25.
During the race reshuffling, Checo Pérez settled into seventh place, which was a positive improvement compared to his previous 13th position. However, Verstappen was being overtaken by Charles Leclerc due to his tires’ deteriorating performance.
Fernando Alonso trailed Sergio Pérez but carried a 5-second penalty that could potentially put him out of the points. At the halfway point, only Yuki Tsunoda retired from the race without completing a single lap, making it a relatively uneventful race until then.
At the front of the race, Sainz maintained a one-second lead over Russell, with Hamilton following closely, just 2.3 seconds behind the Ferraris.
In the battle for seventh place, Alonso attempted to pass Checo but was seized upon by Esteban Ocon, who overtook the Spaniard.
Checo Pérez continued to struggle with tire wear and was overtaken by Ocon and then Alonso.
Red Bull was forced to pit due to tire degradation, and their strategy didn’t pay off. Checo entered the pits and dropped to last place, while Verstappen ended up in 15th place. Sainz continued to lead with a six-second gap over Russell while managing his tires.
Ocon, who had been having a strong race, came to a stop with issues in his Alpine just at the pit lane exit, triggering a Virtual Safety Car.
Fernando Alonso had a lengthy pit stop with soft tires, dropping to 15th place. Unfortunately, Alonso’s misfortune continued as he went off the track and fell to 17th place after rejoining.
Verstappen advanced to eighth place, overtaking Hulkenberg, Zhou, and Lawson, while Pérez struggled to close the gap to Albon and remained in 13th place.
Meanwhile, Mercedes took a gamble with George Russell to overtake Leclerc, and Hamilton did the same.
Verstappen settled into seventh place and then moved up to sixth, aiming to get as close as possible, while Checo Pérez fought for the tenth place to enter the points zone, but Albon didn’t make it easy.
The end of the race saw four drivers with a chance to win, as Sainz couldn’t establish a secure lead. Checo Pérez entered the points zone by overtaking Alex Albon and later Lawson.
The final laps of the race were filled with excitement as Carlos Sainz defended his position.
Carlos Sainz secured victory with an excellent performance, while George Russell, struggling with tire wear, lost the podium. Russell went off track and hit the barriers on the final lap.
Verstappen finished in fifth place, and Pérez in eighth, both crucial for Red Bull’s second-place points defense. Unfortunately, Fernando Alonso had a stroke of bad luck and couldn’t secure any points.
Final Top 10 at the Singapore Grand Prix:
- Sainz, Ferrari
- Norris, McLaren
- Hamilton, Mercedes
- Leclerc, Ferrari
- Verstappen, Red Bull
- Gasly, Alpine
- Piastri, McLaren
- Pérez, Red Bull
- Lawson, AlphaTauri
- Magnussen, Haas
Also read: Singapore Grand Prix: Checo to win again; Verstappen for his first victory
