Singapore Grand Prix: the Editors’ Top/Flops

TOPS

1. The victory of Sainz and a F1 that regains its colors

We couldn’t open the highlights of this Singapore Grand Prix without talking about the mastery displayed by Carlos Sainz and Ferrari! The Scuderia executed a plan reminiscent of its finest moments. Already on Saturday, the pole position of the Spanish driver, with Charles Leclerc’s 3rd place, foreshadowed a Grand Prix tinted in red.

We saw it in the following: Charles Leclerc, on a different strategy, was erected as a barrier to help his teammate maintain the lead until the end. The Monegasque quickly suffered the downside of his deviation with the soft tires, but was one of the pieces on Ferrari’s chessboard.

And above all: what mastery by Sainz! It is true that in Singapore, the urban layout is not conducive to overtaking, but that did not prevent uncertainty from reigning until the last lap. The DRS was the savior of car number 55, which also allowed his great buddy Lando Norris to fend off the attacks from the Mercedes.

In the end, this battle between four, then three, in the final lap, has brought immense joy to a season battered by Max Verstappen’s dominance. Four cars capable of winning, it hasn’t happened in ages in the final lap! What’s more, it was evident, everyone was either attacking or defending… that’s Formula 1 as it is loved!

2. Mercedes: a seductive audacity

If this Grand Prix was as beautiful and exciting, we also owe it to Mercedes: the unfortunate Esteban Ocon, then in 6th place, had to retire due to a tantrum from his Alpine. The Virtual Safety Car, while not a godsend, gave Mercedes the opportunity to take a risk.

It almost paid off: George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, on fresh medium tires, put immense pressure on Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris, who managed to finish the race with old hard tires.

The Mercedes TGV was up and running and could have pushed the two leaders into making a mistake at any moment…and lost! It was George Russell who got caught off guard, he who firmly believed in his chances of securing a second career victory. This error is damaging, but it speaks to the risks taken in pursuit of a win.

Lewis Hamilton inherited the podium, but he didn’t have an extremely comfortable lead. But he also steered his ship well, and Mercedes contributed to a fantastic show on the track.

3. Liam Lawson: the executioner of his own employer!

To conclude these Tops, what can we say about Liam Lawson? The one who quickly replaced an injured Daniel Ricciardo continues to surprise everyone!

The New Zealander has already made an impression in the qualifiers: not only did he reach his first Q3 (on a circuit he was completely discovering)… but he also sent Max Verstappen to failure in Q2! Naturally, this was a big twist, since Yuki Tsunoda had released his time… who knows why.

He confirmed during the race: even with Max Verstappen chasing him, young driver N°40 believed it was important to stand up to the main team. Even Sergio Pérez, Verstappen’s teammate, was reprimanded at the beginning of the season! Such a display of character would not have had the same effect if Lawson had not subsequently secured two valuable points with a 9th place finish! Just ask Enrique Bernoldi, who was in Monaco in 2001…

Yuki Tsunoda and Nyck de Vries both repeatedly hit a wall trying to access the Top 10… Lawson achieved it after three races. Under special circumstances, of course, but brilliantly!

FLOPS

1. Red Bull: Wolf, are you there?

The Bulls had never deigned to let go of a victory to their competitors since the beginning of the season. In Singapore, it was expected that the RB19s could struggle on the Marina Bay circuit. But to this extent!

The Red Bulls were simply nowhere to be found: struggling in free practice, failing to make it into Q3 in qualifying, and not competitive in the race. However, Max Verstappen managed to fight back and finish in 5th place, which was the initial goal for the Austrian team.

As for Sergio Pérez, perhaps this Singapore Grand Prix will make him reflect more on his future: his 8th place is not well earned, considering his blunders and his pace still inferior to Verstappen’s. The Mexican driver was anonymous, except when he collided with poor Yuki Tsunoda, who didn’t necessarily need that.

Suzuka should ring the end of the festivities for the competition…if the technical guidelines have anything to do with it.

2. Aston Martin: what is happening?

It is highly likely that the British team will not be able to recover during the remainder of the season, leading up to 2024. In Singapore, Lance Stroll hit the wall during a qualifying lap that was already pushing the limits, and consequently skipped the Grand Prix.

There was only Fernando Alonso left, one of the heroes from the beginning of the season. But Marina Bay made the Spanish driver completely anonymous: no pace, unable to cleanly pass Sergio Perez, and a terribly silly penalty for crossing the pit entry line. This is a performance light years away from what we now expect from Aston Martin.

Even if Lance Stroll had participated (fortunately, he escaped his accident unharmed), there is no doubt that he would have been far from his teammate. And it has been like this since the beginning of the season, even though the AMR23 allowed him to aim for at least a podium finish. Truly, a Grand Prix to forget for the Greens.

3. Alpine not well rewarded

If the Bleus end up in the flops, it is not due to a poor performance on their part, quite the opposite. Pierre Gasly, who recently finished 3rd in the Netherlands, had a solid race, using his skills to climb up to 6th place. The very same position that Esteban Ocon held!

Car n°31 pulled off a magnificent overtaking maneuver on the outside of Fernando Alonso, and then on Sergio Pérez. Witnessing that on a street circuit is a work of art! However, here’s the twist: A523 decided to throw a tantrum – the gearbox forced the Alpine to retire in the second corner, stuck in 6th gear.

This retirement is cruel and Ocon definitely deserved to be in the Top 5, which he could have achieved with George Russell’s crash. May Suzuka bring a bit more luck to a team that seems to be moving forward again.