In a captivating turn of events, the Formula One season witnessed a remarkable fight for victory at the Singapore Grand Prix, breaking the dominant streak of Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team. Carlos Sainz Jr., driving for Ferrari, clinched the race win, marking an end to Verstappen’s unprecedented 10-race winning streak and Red Bull’s 15-race winning spree.
Red Bull had aspired to achieve victory in every race this season, but their weekend in Singapore proved to be a challenge, with Verstappen finishing fifth and Sergio Perez in eighth place. The race was a four-car battle for the win until George Russell’s crash in the final lap, which elevated Lewis Hamilton to a podium finish.
Sainz was delighted with his victory, stating, “I felt under control. I felt like I could manage well, and we brought it home. That was the best feeling.” He also revealed that he had deliberately slowed down to ensure Lando Norris stayed within the one-second window that granted the McLaren driver access to the DRS straight-line speed boost, which played a crucial role in fending off the two Mercedes cars.
Norris, who has secured second place in three of the last six races but is yet to claim a Formula One win, expressed his gratitude for Sainz’s assistance. The race was intense, with Russell crashing at the same spot where Norris had clipped the wall earlier. Mercedes had initially positioned Russell for a second-place finish, but a strategic move that involved a second pit stop for both cars altered the outcome. Russell dropped to fourth place, while Hamilton passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, but neither could regain second place from Norris.
Verstappen, who had an eventful race starting from 11th place, briefly held the second position on track but ultimately finished fifth. Despite his worst result since November 2022, he increased his championship lead to 151 points over Perez with seven races remaining in the season.
Other notable performances included Pierre Gasly finishing sixth for Alpine, rookie Liam Lawson securing his first points in ninth place for AlphaTauri, and Kevin Magnussen finishing 10th for Haas.
However, it was a challenging weekend for Aston Martin as Fernando Alonso finished 15th due to a prolonged pit stop and a spin, while his teammate Lance Stroll did not participate in the race after a heavy crash during qualifying.
