Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix for Ferrari after a nail-biting finish to a race that hung in the balance for the final third. His victory ended Red Bull’s unbeaten streak this season at the 15th meeting.
Max Verstappen’s record run of 10 consecutive wins also came to an end at Marina Bay, the Dutchman only able to recover to fifth from 11th on the grid. Lando Norris was second for McLaren and Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was fourth.
What was something of a procession for most of the race came alive after a late safety car prompted an attack by the Mercedes of George Russell and Hamilton. They mounted a fearsome charge to catch the leaders where they vied across the last 10 laps with nothing to choose between them.
Russell led the assault but was caught out pushing too hard on the final lap, crashing out from third place. Sainz did brilliantly to hang on and Norris too drove a steely race, especially in defence from Russell at the end.
Sainz had looked in control and quick all weekend and, under immense pressure, took his first win at Singapore and the second of his career. Against the odds but making the best of the chances he was offered, Sainz and Ferrari delivered with aplomb to finally end Red Bull’s run of 14 consecutive wins this season and deny Verstappen a record-extending 11th victory on the trot.
The title fight nonetheless remains a done deal with Verstappen now leading Sergio Pérez by 151 points. Sainz had led from pole and with tyre management to the fore on what is a very long race the leaders remained somewhat processional until a late safety car brought the race alive.
Sainz led from Russell, Norris and Hamilton, all within just over a second, when Esteban Ocon pulled over with an engine failure prompting a virtual safety car on lap 43.
Mercedes took a chance bringing in Russell and Hamilton for fresh tyres to attack in the final third of the race. They dropped places but the timing was perfect as the two drivers emerged in fourth and fifth, 13 seconds back but on new rubber. They immediately hared off after the leaders, both putting in a series of fastest laps.
Russell caught Leclerc on lap 52, taking out over a second a lap on the Ferrari and made the pass with ease a lap later and Hamilton swiftly followed. They trailed Sainz by seven seconds with eight laps remaining.
Norris was in range, the top four within five seconds of one another and Mercedes still had the advantage as they all came together, Sainz struggling with his tyres and Norris closing. They were line astern on lap 59, under two seconds apart.
It was impossibly tense, Russell attacked Norris who defended stoutly holding his place. Sainz just had enough to stay ahead, with the Spaniard allowing the British driver to stay in range to use DRS to keep the Mercedes behind him.
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Russell however pushed too hard and went off into the wall, a huge disappointment as Sainz held on for a superb win, with just over a second separating the top three.
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Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine, Oscar Piastri seventh for McLaren and Pérez eighth for Red Bull, with Kevin Magnussen in tenth for Haas.
Liam Lawson did superbly to score his first points in only his third GP, finishing ninth for AlphaTauri where he is sitting in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo.
Aston Martin withdrew Lance Stroll from the race after he suffered a high-speed crash in qualifying, with the driver needing to recover and the car severely damaged.