Max Verstappen of Red Bull wins Singapore GP for first time
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari is second and Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes is third.
Key events
Aha, Giles Richards’ race report is here…
…which means that’s it from me. We’ll see you again a fortnight today for the US Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. Peace.
Apparently there’s anothrer football match going on today. That should be a nice, quiet night in at the library. Not! I don’t think!
Also going on:
Constructor standings
1 Mercedes 🇩🇪 578pts
2 Ferrari 🇮🇹 444
3 McLaren 🇬🇧 339
4 Red Bull 🇦🇹 332
5 Racing Bulls 🇮🇹 100
6 Alpine 🇫🇷 68
7 Haas 🇺🇸 30
8 Audi 🇩🇪 23
9 Williams 🇬🇧 12
10 Aston Martin 🇬🇧 7
11 Cadillac 🇺🇸 0
The pace, tension and levity of that; man, I’m tearful and exhausted just reading it.
In a way, this has nothing to do with F1, in another way, it’s almost identical. I just read this and suggest youse do too; some people are built differently.
Verstappen lifts the trophy, and well has he earned that moment. His champagne will taste very sweet, Crofty reckons, which I’m pretty sure it won’t, given that’d kind of defeat the purpose of what, I presume, is a decent drop.
It’s a minor thing, but I’m surprised Verstappen has that little beard; it surely gets hot, sweaty and itchy under the bally and, as we’re all friends, we can be honest in saying it’s not worth even a millisecond’s discomfort.
Podium and anthem time…
Driver standings
1. Kimi Antonelli 🇮🇹 Mercedes 340pts
2. George Russell 🇬🇧 Mercedes 238pts
3. Lewis Hamilton 🇬🇧 Ferrari 229pts
4. Max Verstappen 🇳🇱 Red Bull 221pts
5. Charles Leclerc 🇲🇨 Ferrari 215pts
“So boys, I let you down today with that strategy,” Hamilton tells his team. I think it’s fair to say he’s earned the right to make those calls.
Singapore Grand Prix results
1 Max Verstappen 🇳🇱 Red Bull 1:42:00.785 – 25pts
2 Charles Leclerc 🇲🇨 Ferrari +7.335 – 18pts
3 Kimi Antonelli 🇮🇹 Mercedes +34.573 – 15pts
4 Lando Norris 🇬🇧 McLaren +40.506 – 12pts
5 Oscar Piastri 🇦🇺 McLaren +49.644 – 10pts
6 Lewis Hamilton 🇬🇧 Ferrari +53.188 – 8pts
7 Liam Lawson 🇳🇿 Red Bull +81.386 – 6pts
8 Nico Hülkenberg 🇩🇪 Audi +66.187 – 4pts
9 George Russell 🇬🇧 Mercedes +84.677 – 2pts
10 Isack Hadjar 🇫🇷 Red Bull +90.862 – 1pt
11 Pierre Gasly 🇫🇷 Alpine +1 lap
12 Oliver Bearman 🇬🇧 Haas +1 lap
13 Esteban Ocon 🇫🇷 Haas +1 lap
14 Carlos Sainz 🇪🇸 Williams +1 lap
15 Arvid Lindblad 🇬🇧Racing Bulls +1 lap
16 Fernando Alonso 🇪🇸 Aston Martin +1 lap
17 Sergio Pérez 🇲🇽 Cadillac +2 laps
18 Alexander Albon 🇹🇭 Williams DNF
19 Valtteri Bottas 🇫🇮 Cadillac +3 laps
NC Lance Stroll 🇨🇦 Aston Martin DNF
NC Franco Colapinto 🇦🇷 Alpine DNF
NC Gabriel Bortoleto 🇧🇷 Audi DNF
Verstappen thinks the race was very good. They had pace on both tyres when they needed them, though everyone struggled on the medium, and the last few races have been really positive. There’s a lot of motivation in the team, a really good bunch of people he enjoys working with, and he hopes they can have some fun in what’s left of the season.
A very tough race, he says, and he was able to take advantage of the fight between Norris and Hamilton to pass both. He’s surprised to hear he can clinch the title next time out then, just as he’s getting excited, he remembers what the rules say, reminding himself it doesn’t matter and he just has to have a good week.
Leclerc, meanwhile, thinks he did a good job and did all he could with good pace overall, though the car needs work.
You’ve got to admire Antonelli’s ability to find a way. He’s addicted to the podium, it seems, and here he is now…
Mercedes are chuffed with Antonelli, while it sounds like it was Hamilton’s strategy that went wrong, not Ferrari’s; he wanted to stay out, rather than come in when given the chance to do so cheaply by the VSC.
A terrific drive completes a terrific weekend for Verstappen, who dominated pretty much everything. Antonelli, meanwhile, will be pretty surprised to end up third given how the race went, and he has an outside chance of securing the driver championship a fortnight from now in Austin.
Max Verstappen of Red Bull wins Singapore GP for first time
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari is second and Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes is third.
Lap 62/62 Piastri tries again, and again Hamilton shuts off the space … but he can’t keep doing it, the lack of grip apparent as he’s finally forced to give way. He won’t be happy with a P3 to P6 drop, but let’s get back to the front…
Lap 61/62 Piastri gets closer to Hamilton … but doesn’t attack through the chicane, then sees the track constantly closed off to him and he seeks to get position. The Ferrari is slipping about, but the control is superb.
Lap 60/62 It doesn’t look like Russell can get past Hulkenberg, just as it looks like Antonelli will hold off Norris, who has a braking problem.
Lap 59/62 And another fastest lap from Leclerc, while Piastri gains on Hamilton; he’s scope to go by before the end. I’m quite looking forward to Hamilton’s post-race interview.
Lap 58/62 Verstappen leads by 9s, and this has been a typically understated procession. If he can get a competitive car for next season, he’ll have a very good chance of contesting the title.
Lap 57/62 Leclerc sets another fastest lap as Norris is told that Antonelli is close to a penalty for infringing track limits so he must stay within five seconds. But we’re close to the end now…
Lap 56/62 We’ve not mentioned Verstappen for a while, but he’s serenely speeding to victory. He leads Leclerc by 8.8s, while Antonelli, now third, has an outside chance of securing the title in Austin if he stays where he is and if Hulkenberg, eighth, holds off Russell, ninth.
Lap 55/62 Hamilton is noted for leaving the track and gaining an advantage, but before he can so much as absorb the injustice, Antonelli does what Norris couldn’t, passing him to take third and a potential place on the podium. That’s terrific opportunism from the young man, then Norris attacks again and this time, he passes. Hamilton is now fifth, having endured a miserable five minutes in a race that has not gone well for him. Are the tactics his or his team’s?
Lap 54/62 Norris goes on the outside … but Hamilton shuts him out, so Norris tries on the inside, and that’s brilliant from Hamilton, again closing the door … meantime, Antonelli capitalises, the champion-elect zipping by the defending champion, and taking fourth!
Lap 53/62 Norris tucks in behind Hamilton, but does he has the grip and chops to pass? The gap os 0.4s, as Leclerc sets another fastest lap.
Lap 52/62 Hulkenberg, eighth, will record Audi’s best-ever finish if he stays where he is; Leclerc gains a little on Verstappen, who now leads by 9.1s, but must decide if he’s going to pit again.
Lap 51/62 Another leaderboard:
1. Verstappen
2. Leclerc
3. Hamilton
4. Norris
5. Antonelli
6. Piastri
7. Lawson
8. Hulkenberg
9. Russell
10. Gasly
Lap 50/62 Another fastest lap from Leclerc, who trails Verstappen by 11.2s, while Hamilton is also under threat of finishing behind Antonelli, who might end a disappointing weekend by finishing above his two nearest challengers. When it’s going for you, it’s going for you.
Lap 49/62 Norris is closing on Hamilton and should overtake him on track if he doesn’t pit. It’s not clear what’s gone on with his strategy – he might’ve taken his planned second pit when the second VSC came out, but instead he’s been kept out there and is going backwards.
Lap 48/62 Russell goes again … and this time he’s past Gasly. The way things are, he ninth and Antonelli fifth, the latter won’t be able to secure the title in Austin a fortnight today.
Lap 47/62 I fear for Hamilton; I’m not sure that, if he pits again, he can beat Norris today. Meanwhile, Russell, 10th, attacks Gasly … who slams the door shut.
Lap 46/62 Verstappen now leads Leclerc by 15.0s; Hamilton is third, a second behind, with Norris 5.7s behind him, and Antonelli fifth, a further 3.5s in arrears.
Lap 45/62 Another fastest lap to Leclerc, who’s now 0.6s behind Hamilton, and it looks like the two are on different strategies; will the Brit come in again? “Let’s not lose time,” Leclerc tells the team, before passing his teammate without much effort expended.
Lap 44/62 Leclerc has taken six seconds out of Hamilton in three laps and, if Ferrari are going to challenge, he must surely be allowed by. Antonelli, meantime, has been grousing about his brakes, but he seems OK again now.
Lap 43/62 Hamilton lost two seconds to Leclerc with that most recent fastest lap, and he’s got a problem with his car, complaining to his team about his tyres. He trails Verstappen by 10.8s.
Lap 42/62 Leclerc sets a fastest lap as Piastri pits – he’s a slow puncture – and Antonelli complains about fluid in his car. Verstappen leads Hamilton by 9.7s.
Lap 41/62 I say that, but Russell should have the pace to move up the field.
Lap 40/62 Leclerc comes in and takes softs, but Hamilton, who now has a chance to return to his two-stop strategy, does not. In goes Russell … and as soon as he nips into the lane, the VSC goes, his advantage gone, so lawson, Hulkenberg and Gasly go by, leaving him 10th.
