The Spanish driver from the Ferrari team dominated the race from start to finish, although it was full of suspense in the final laps.
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Red Bull will not be a hit in 2023. The victorious team in the first 14 rounds of the calendar could only lose on Sunday September 17 in Singapore. Starting too far after a poor qualifying session, Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez finished far from the race lead and Carlos Sainz. The Ferrari driver won after leading from the start, where he started in pole position. The Spaniard beat Lando Norris (McLaren) and Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), coming very close to a genius strategic poker move.
Because if Carlos Sainz enforced logic on the urban circuit of the city-state where it is so complicated to overtake, his task was not easy. And the race probably shouldn’t have dragged on, given the fury of the Mercedes. The abandonment of Esteban Ocon (Alpine) around twenty laps from the finish allowed the Silver Arrows to down their card, a set of “medium” tires remaining that no other team had saved more early in the weekend.
First for Vasseur at the head of Ferrari
Faster by almost two seconds per lap, George Russell and Lewis Hamilton found themselves in the tailpipes of the leading duo Sainz – Norris four laps from the finish. Russell was the first to crack, hitting the wall on the final lap while holding the podium. Carlos Sainz showed nerves of steel, slowing down just enough to use Lando Norris as a last defense. Despite his tires in agony, the Madrilenian held on to score the second victory of his career.
It is also the first for Frenchman Frédéric Vasseur at the head of the Scuderia after his arrival last winter to put Ferrari back on the straight and narrow. For this and to protect his teammate in the first part of the race, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc (4th), was sacrificed. The spectacle did not suffer after ten Grand Prix in a row won by Max Verstappen.
The reigning double world champion and absolute leader of the drivers’ classification has limited the damage, to fifth place – just ahead of Pierre Gasly (Alpine) – after starting 11th. If some feared that Formula 1 had become bogged down in boredom, this Singapore Grand Prix was a perfect counter-example. Again in Japan next Sunday September 24?