
Carlos Sainz, in a brilliant performance, held his ground from pole position to secure his second career victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. This remarkable win marked the first non-Red Bull triumph of the season.
Sainz’s strong start allowed him to maintain his lead, but Charles Leclerc, on softer tires, managed to slip past George Russell into second place. The race took an unexpected turn when Logan Sargeant’s crash prompted a Safety Car period. Sainz, however, expertly retained his lead and successfully defended against challenges from Russell, Lando Norris, and Lewis Hamilton.
A pivotal moment came when Esteban Ocon, running in sixth place, encountered a suspected gearbox issue, prompting Mercedes to capitalize on the Virtual Safety Car to pit both of their drivers for fresh medium tires. This strategic move set the stage for a thrilling finale. Despite Russell and Hamilton overtaking Leclerc, they couldn’t catch up to Sainz and Norris. In a remarkable display of sportsmanship, Sainz even allowed his former McLaren teammate, Norris, to utilize his DRS in the closing laps, ensuring a hard-fought victory.
Russell’s hopes for a podium finish were dashed as he collided with the barrier at Turn 10 on the final lap while attempting to pass Norris. This allowed Norris to secure second place and Hamilton to claim third. Leclerc managed to fend off a charging Max Verstappen to secure fourth place, while Verstappen recovered from a challenging race that saw him overtaken by the leading drivers for the first time this season, ultimately finishing fifth.
Pierre Gasly delivered an impressive sixth-place finish for Alpine, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri secured seventh. Sergio Perez, although facing an investigation for a collision with Alex Albon, finished eighth. Liam Lawson earned his first-ever Formula 1 points for AlphaTauri with a ninth-place finish, while Kevin Magnussen led the way for Haas in tenth. Alex Albon finished in 11th place for Williams, followed by Zhou Guanyu of Alfa Romeo and Nico Hulkenberg in the other Haas.
Unfortunately, several drivers, including Valtteri Bottas, Yuki Tsunoda (who suffered an early puncture), and Esteban Ocon (due to a suspected gearbox issue), were unable to finish the race. Logan Sargeant and Fernando Alonso faced their fair share of challenges, with Alonso finishing 14th behind the American rookie.
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