Formula 1, Singapore GP: Perez wins, leaving Leclerc behind

Sergio Perez took a great win at the Singapore GP. The Mexican overtook Charles Leclerc at the start and from then on he held out until the end, both in the resulting safety cars and in Leclerc’s attack at the end.

However, Perez is being examined by the marshals for a possible irregularity when restarting after the safety car. Of course, at the finish he had a difference of more than 5 seconds (7.5 to be precise), which means that even with a penalty he will not lose first place.

The only chance of anything changing is if the Mexican gets two five-second penalties. That was also Leclerc’s briefing from the Ferrari people, with Monegasque second and Saint third.

Where was victory decided?

Judging by the result, victory was decided right at the start as Perez took the lead. It was a foregone conclusion that the weather and track conditions would play their part in the course of the race, but in the end Czeko persevered.

As time passed and the track dried out, Ferrari opted to put Leclerc in the pits first to switch to slicks (medium rubber). However, the Monegasque pit stop was too slow (5.3”), causing the undercutting attempt to fail and leaving him behind Perez.

The match phase

What happened at the start played a decisive role in the course of the race. Perez said before the Singapore GP that he would attack Leclerc at the first corner and he did.

The Mexican, using the power of the Red Bull engine, managed to overtake the Monegasque and found himself in the driver’s seat.

Of course, it would be remiss not to mention the mistakes made by Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, each of whom slipped and risked retiring at a different point in the race.

The guide of the day

Sergio Perez was voted Driver of the Day by the crowd for his impressive win, but we think the title could go to Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian was outstanding, making up eleven places to finish fifth.

You surprised us

After his triumph in Monaco, today’s Sergio Perez’s second win of the year – admittedly the best of his career – was even more significant given the negative and Verstappen-favorable development of the RB18, which RBR had selected from the end of spring.

In addition to an unerring performance under many different parameters, such as five virtual or normal safety car phases, the slippery track that refused to dry, the undercut and the suffocating pressure from Leclerc and Ferrari, the Mexican stood out today for his style and Show off the RB18 again in its dimensions.

Ferrari did everything right but the undercut they tried on Perez didn’t work because on Leclerc’s exit lap it wasn’t possible to heat the center tire fast enough. Not even Leclerc’s loss of first place at the start was a mistake because Perez’s side were drier.

Only on the straights did the Scuderia fall victim to the superior speed of the RB18 again, because even with DRS, the Monegasque failed at the Mexican. And then Leclerc’s tires wore out in the laps as he tried to pass Perez, wearing down the rubber in the RB18’s ‘dirty air’.

You let us down

The only disappointing aspect from Ferrari was that they seemed to be waiting for the Perez penalty to claim a win the Mexican deserved. On the downside, this was one of the rare three days that RBR and Verstappen got going, first on Saturday on the petrol that left the Dutchman in 8th on the grid and then with the champion’s eagerness to overtake Norris, who saw him forced to make an emergency stop and a second pit stop.

Nothing was going well for Mercedes either, in a GP where the conditions and track were the most suitable for the W13 this year. Lewis Hamilton seems to be making unusual mistakes under the pressure, while George Russell showed signs of error for the first time, sending him into the pits for tire changes three times.

Unlike McLaren, who used every opportunity perfectly today to overtake Alpine in the battle for 4th Constructors’ place, the French team with their twin-engine retirements proved once again that Fernando Alonso was too much for them. Although with the novelty of Renault’s new engine design, such problems should be expected.

On the whole, it’s utterly disappointing to see city street courses increasing on the schedule, as every minor incident requires the Safety Car – completely game-changing. Unless that’s the point.

What’s next

The Formula 1 World Championship continues in Asia and specifically in Japan. The three-day event at the Suzuka circuit begins on October 7th with free practice. The qualifying tests will take place on Saturday October 8th at 9:00 (Greek time) while the race will take place on Sunday October 9th at 8:00 am.