MARINA BAY: Red Bull’s Sergio Perez outlasted Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to win an eventful Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday here at Marina Bay Circuit.
Title leader Max Verstappen finished seventh which prolonged his wait to clinch the world championship.
Perez waited for two and a half hours for the official confirmation of his victory as he was investigated for two occurrences of leaving more than a 10-car distance between himself and the safety car during a pair of caution periods.
Perez was ultimately handed a five-second penalty which means he kept his second win of the season, finishing 7.5 seconds clear of Leclerc.
Your Top 10 from Singapore! ✨ #SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/3Gqysz8WVD
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022
“It was certainly my best performance,” said Perez after his astounding win. “I controlled the race. The last three laps were so intense – when I got out of the car, I felt it. I gave everything today.”
Verstappen appeared to be in contention for a podium spot before making a mistake that flat-spotted his tyres and prompted him to pit.
Verstappen needed to win the race from eighth on the grid to have any chance of winning his second consecutive championship.
“A messy and frustrating weekend for me that ended in P7 today. This is not where we want to be, but we move on to Japan. I’m looking forward to race on the great track in Suzuka, next week” tweeted Verstappen after the disappointing results.
Verstappen still has a chance to win the championship next weekend in Japan if he defeats teammate Sergio Perez by six points and Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by eight points.
Even after the frustrating week in Singapore, Verstappen still holds the top position on the table and maintains a massive 104 points lead over Leclerc, who sits at No.2.
DRIVER STANDINGS 📊
Max Verstappen continues to hold strong with a 104 point lead over nearest rival Charles Leclerc #SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/nZBkWIJfpE
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022
Lewis Hamilton, on the other hand, also had a troublesome day as he finished ninth after two errors.
The seven-time world champion Hamilton had been stuck behind Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, who took the final place on the podium. In his attempt to pass, he made a mistake by running wide at Turn seven, breaking his front wing.
“(It was) a difficult start and then getting stuck behind Carlos. I don’t know why he was so slow but obviously, I was not quick enough to get past him in these conditions,” Hamilton said.
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