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Spaniard Carlos Sainz, together with Ferrari, has managed to end Red Bull’s dominant winning streak this season. Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton completed the podium while Max Verstappen finished fifth after a difficult catch-up race.
Carlos Sainz started the race from pole and got off to a good start. The Spaniard continued to lead the race while Charles Leclerc started better than George Russell on the soft tire compound and took second place.
Yuki Tsunoda’s race was over during the first lap, the Japanese had to retire after a contact with Sergio Perez in the Red Bull. Within a week Tsunoda awaits his home race in Suzuka. Perez lost a place at the start of the race while Max Verstappen tried to make up a few places during the initial phase.
During the start of the race we saw Lewis Hamilton go straight and pass Lando Norris and George Russell. Hamilton drove to the right of the first corner combination, but shortly later gave his position back to Russell. He kept Lando Norris behind him, meaning Hamilton had gained a place.
Meanwhile, at the front, Carlos Sainz controlled the race with a small lead over Charles Leclerc. Ferrari then asked to widen the gap.
On lap 19, Oscar Piastri was told by the team that a rain shower might be coming. However, on the rain radar the rain shower seemed to pass along the circuit instead of over the circuit.
However, a lap later we suddenly had the safety car on track. After all, Logan Sargeant had crashed into the wall and there was debris on the track.
Charles Leclerc opened up a gap to Carlos Sainz so that a double pit stop could take place. However, Leclerc still lost a few places because he was unable to drive away immediately after his pit stop due to traffic in the so-called ‘fast lane’.
After the pit stops, Carlos Sainz was still in the lead of the race, the two Red Bulls stayed out, leaving Max Verstappen second in the race. We soon got a restart and Carlos Sainz remained in the lead of the race without much problem.
After the restart, Max Verstappen could not maintain his position for long on the hard tire compound. On a new set of tires, George Russell quickly managed to pass Verstappen. Perez also found himself in a similar situation a few places further and the Mexican also lost a position. Within a few laps, Verstappen also lost his place to Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton on his hard tire compound.
Halfway through the race, Carlos Sainz was still in the lead of the race. The Spaniard controlled the pace, which meant he actually pressed the pace to keep the cars behind him close together. Keeping tire wear under control was clearly the message. Gaining a large lead in Singapore makes little sense when you know that a safety car can suddenly erase that lead at any time.
With the pace being pushed, we saw little battle at the front, but we did see a battle more in the middle and at the rear of the racing field. Once again Fernando Alonso played a leading role.
Esteban Ocon took advantage of an attack by Fernando Alonso on Sergio Perez to pass Alonso and Perez in succession. A little later, Alonso also eventually passed Perez. Perez and Verstappen were clearly presented with the bill for continuing for so long on the hard tire compound.
Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez both came in for their pit stop a little later. Both Red Bull fell back seriously but were on the medium tire. What kind of catch-up race could they still run?
At Red Bull they had clearly hoped for a safety car phase in order to make a ‘cheap pit stop’. Frustratingly, this came a few laps after Verstappen and Perez had made a pit stop. After all, we received a virtual safety car because Esteban Ocon had come to a standstill with his Alpine.
At Mercedes they decided to use the virtual safety car to allow George Russell and Lewis Hamilton to make a pit stop. Both were placed on the medium tire compound.
After we got a green flag again, Carlos Sainz increased the pace. The Spaniard obviously also knew that Russell and Hamilton in the Mercedes on the medium tire could pose a threat. They were both about one and a half seconds faster than Sainz.
George Russell and Lewis Hamilton were lightning fast, but would they still get on the podium or claim victory? Russell sped past Leclerc, paving the way for a podium finish and even victory.
We had a super exciting ending to the Singapore GP. After all, George Russell drove towards Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. The tension was palpable, also in the Mercedes garage.
With a few laps to go everything was still open. Who would win this race? Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell or even Lewis Hamilton.
George Russell launched an attack on Lando Norris, but Norris successfully parried that attack and that was especially good news for Carlos Sainz.
In a blood-curdling finale we saw both Mercedes drivers put an incredible amount of pressure on Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. Four riders on a handkerchief, but on the very last lap George Russell made a mistake.
The Briton went straight and not only missed out on the victory, but also grabbed a podium place and points. Lewis Hamilton took advantage to finish on the podium.
But it was Carlos Sainz and Ferrari who prevailed. The Spaniard shouted over the on-board radio. Sainz and Ferrari thus bring Red Bull’s winning streak to an end this season. So no ‘perfect season’ for Red Bull.
Carlos Sainz and Ferrari threw a big party, the Spaniard also received warm congratulations from Lando Norris who finished second on the podium in the McLaren. Lewis Hamilton completed the podium while Charles Leclerc managed to finish fourth ahead of Max Verstappen.