Sainz snaps Red Bull's run in Singapore stunner
Monday, 18 September 2023
Ferrari's Carlos Sainz converted from pole to win a thrilling conclusion to his Marina Bay masterclass, while Max Verstappen and Red Bull crashed back to earth at the Dutchman's bogey circuit.
Carlos Sainz put an end to Red Bull Racing's unbeaten run in 2023 by winning a thrilling Singapore Grand Prix, the Ferrari driver converting from pole for his second F1® victory in a race that started slowly, but built to a gripping finale.
Sainz led for all 62 laps under the steaming night skies in Singapore, but had to sweat even more than usual around Marina Bay as he and McLaren's Lando Norris were hunted down by George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the final laps, the Mercedes pair benefitting from taking on new medium-compound tyres for the final 18 laps after a virtual safety car caused by the retirement of Alpine's Esteban Ocon.
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With Norris shadowing Sainz as both drivers held on with fading rubber, the Mercedes duo rapidly joined the fight for victory, the podium positions settled when Russell crashed from third place on the final lap as he attempted to pass Norris to attack Sainz.
The Spaniard took his second F1® win by just eight-tenths of a second from former teammate Norris, who equalled his career-best result with second. Hamilton's fifth podium of the year and first in five races saw him demote Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso (15th) from third place in the drivers' standings for the first time all season.
It was a wretched weekend in Singapore for Red Bull, which came to Marina Bay on a 15-race winning run for the team, and a 10-race streak for reigning world champion Max Verstappen, who struggled to find grip all weekend. The runaway championship leader qualified just 11th, and used a late tyre stop to storm back in the final laps to get to fifth. Singapore remains the only circuit that's been on the calendar for the entirety of Verstappen's career where he's never won.
Just 19 cars took the start in Singapore, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll sitting out after a huge shunt that saw Q1 end under red flags on Saturday night.
The Canadian lost control of his car at the final corner of the circuit at over 240km/h, crashing head-on into the outside barriers.
Stroll was uninjured in the accident but sore after the impact, and the 24-year-old is expected to be fit to take his place in next Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix.
Aussie watch
Oscar Piastri finished in the points for the sixth time this season with an outstanding drive to seventh for McLaren, a strong comeback after his weekend looked set to be ruined by Stroll's qualifying error.
Piastri started from just 17th place after being right behind Stroll on track before the accident and subsequent red flag, but gained three places on the first lap of Sunday's race and spent a lot of the race fighting with Red Bull's Sergio Perez before finishing 41secs behind race-winner Sainz, six world championship points seeing him gain one place to 11th in the standings.
Piastri's efforts were even more meritorious as he raced without the significant upgrade to the MCL60 used on Norris' car in Singapore, with Piastri set to get the same updates to his machinery for next weekend's race at Suzuka.
Daniel Ricciardo was in Singapore for Scuderia AlphaTauri, officially on engineering debrief duties while he recovers from surgery for his broken left hand, but taking the chance to get some more physio work done with Red Bull Racing's medical staff as he aims for a return at the Qatar Grand Prix (October 6-8).
Unsung hero
Besides Piastri, you mean? Liam Lawson won’t be able to appear in this category for too much longer if he continues to star in his super-sub role at AlphaTauri while Ricciardo recuperates, the New Zealander scoring his first F1® points with an assured ninth-place finish on Sunday.
Lawson bumped Verstappen out of Q3 – by 0.007secs – to make the top 10 in qualifying for the first time on Saturday, and survived Singapore's gruelling heat on his first visit to the track to score the most points by an AlphaTauri driver in a single race all season.
The 21-year-old spent 22 of the 62 laps inside the points, fighting back after being elbowed down to 12th on the opening lap.
Number to know
101: The number of races from the last time neither Red Bull driver featured in Q3 (Russia, 2018) and this weekend in Singapore, after Verstappen qualified 11th and Perez 13th.
I always felt like I head the headspace and the pace in hand to do whatever I wanted to do. You're under pressure, but I felt under control and that I could manage well – and we brought it home.
Singapore Grand Prix: top 10
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1hr 46mins 37.418secs
2. Lando Norris (McLaren) +0.812secs
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) +1.269secs
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +21.177secs
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) +21.441secs
6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) +38.441secs
7. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) +41.479secs
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) +59.534secs
9. Liam Lawson (Scuderia AlphaTauri) +65.918secs
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) +72.116secs
Standings (top 5)
Drivers' championship
1. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) 374 points
2. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) 223 points
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) 180 points
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) 170 points
5. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 142 points
Constructors' championship
1. Red Bull Racing (597 points)
2. Mercedes (289 points)
3. Ferrari (265 points)
4. Aston Martin (217 points)
5. McLaren (139 points)
Next race
Round 16: Suzuka, Japan (September 22-24)
