Ferrari brought Red Bull Racing’s remarkable 10-race winning streak to a halt during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, effectively disrupting the team’s dominance in the 2023 F1 world championship. This victory positions Ferrari as only the second team, apart from Red Bull, to clinch a race this season, a testament to their competitive edge. However, it wasn’t a walk in the park for them. Carlos Sainz exhibited his prowess by securing pole position, while George Russell positioned himself solidly in second place.
The notable absence of the Red Bull team at the front was impossible to overlook, as their typically otherworldly performance seemed to elude them on this occasion. Max Verstappen could only qualify 15, while temamate Sergio Perez was out at sea in 17th. Max Verstappen found himself in a surprising 15th position during qualifying, while his teammate, Sergio Perez, languished in 17th.
The abrupt and bewildering turn of events left even Red Bull Racing at a loss for explanations. However, the nightmare of one team winning every race is over, if only for one race. Race day was tight and exciting for once, at the start Ferrari was one-two as Charles Leclerc hustled his way from third to second to. Russell dropped to fifth as Hamilton assumed third.
Nonetheless, Hamilton had to navigate a corner-cutting situation when he ran out of space in the lead-up to turn one. This manoeuvre was deemed to have provided him with an advantage, compelling him to slot back into fifth place. Subsequently, the race evolved into a captivating strategic battle.
Singapore, as a street circuit, presents unique challenges. Its hot and humid conditions demand unwavering focus, making lapses inevitable. Incidents like collisions with barriers and the deployment of safety cars are par for the course in such demanding conditions.
As the race unfolded, with all the hustling, pit stops and safety car interventions behind them, it became a one-lap nail-biter. On the final lap, the leading contenders found themselves separated by mere fractions of a second. A four-car train was led by Carlos Sainz, who had the McLaren of Lando Norris hot on his heels. Directly behind the leading two George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were engaged in a fierce battle, each striving to outmanoeuvre the other and secure victory.
Disaster struck for Russell, armed with fresher tires the Mercedes driver possessed a clear advantage. However, he faced the challenging task of overtaking both Norris and Sainz ahead of him. In his determined effort to invoke the racing gods, Russell ultimately found himself crashing into the barriers.
Nonetheless, it would have taken a near-miraculous effort for Russell to surpass Norris and Sainz on the final lap as the performance of the three drivers was evenly matched. In the end, it was Ferrari and Sainz who managed to maintain a slight advantage, clinching a well-deserved victory in what turned out to be a heart-pounding and exhilarating race.
2023 Singapore Grand Prix: Race Results
1 Carlos SAINZ Ferrari 1:46:37.418
2 Lando NORRIS McLaren +0.812
3 Lewis HAMILTON Mercedes+1.269
4 Charles LECLERC Ferrari +21.177
5 Max VERSTAPPEN Red Bull Racing +21.441
6 Pierre GASLY Alpine +38.441
7 Oscar PIASTRI McLaren +41.479
8 Sergio PEREZ Red Bull Racing +54.534
9 Liam LAWSON AlphaTauri +65.918
10 Kevin MAGNUSSEN Haas F1 Team +72.116
11 Alexander ALBON Williams +73.417
12 Guanyu ZHOU Alfa Romeo +83.649
13 Nico HULKENBERG Haas F1 Team +86.201
14 Logan SARGEANT Williams +86.889
15 Fernando ALONSO Aston Martin +87.603
DNF:
George Russell Mercedes lap 62
Valtteri Bottas Alfa Romeo
Esteban Ocon Alpine lap 43
Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri lap 1
