It could have been crowned this weekend, but its competitors decided otherwise. Dutchman Max Verstappen will indeed have to wait to win the supreme title of world champion for the second time in a row. Starting in eighth position on the grid, Max Verstappen suffered on the Marina Bay circuit during the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday October 2, the start of which was delayed by one hour due to bad weather conditions.
The driver, who just turned 25 (September 30), finished seventh in a race won by teammate Sergio Pérez. Stuck from the start between the other drivers, Verstappen never got past sixth place. The championship leader had also feared, before taking the start, to be in difficulty to overtake on this urban circuit. A fear come true.
Sunday, the duel was therefore mainly played between Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), who started in pole position. The Mexican driver of Red Bull withstood the multiple attacks from the Monegasque well, before crossing the finish line first. Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz complete the podium. Lewis Hamilton took ninth place while Pierre Gasly closes the top 10.
END OF RACE
TOP 10
Perez
Leclerc
sainz
Norris
Ricciardo
Stroll
Verstappen
Vettel
hamilton
Gasly #SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/2xTSSX8q58— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022
But this scenario remained in suspense for more than two hours, since Pérez was threatened with an investigation by the race marshals for a safety car violation, very often out on the wet Marina Bay track. Once his victory was confirmed, after a penalty of five seconds, this allows him, with 235 points, to nibble a little bit in the general classification of the pilots where he is more than ever on the lookout behind the runner-up, Charles Leclerc (237 points). “This performance is my best [en F1]. The last three laps were very intense. I gave everything to win today”, he welcomed.
If the day smiled at Pérez and Red Bull, it was tough for others, especially for the six drivers who were forced to retire, including the two from Alpine. First, with Fernando Alonso, who was forced to retire due to an engine problem. A blow for the one who took his 350th start in Grand Prix, a new record, and which contained Max Verstappen just before his mechanical problem. A few minutes later, his teammate Esteban Ocon was also forced to retire following an engine problem. A Sunday to forget for the French team.