by F1 correspondent Michael Butterworth
BEIJING, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) — Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took a lights-to-flag win in Sunday’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix, as championship chief Max Verstappen completed solely seventh after making an error and ruining a set of tyres.
An eventful and rain-affected race that hit the two-hour time restrict additionally witnessed two separate Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car intervals, as drivers struggled to deal with slippery situations and the unforgiving partitions of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Verstappen might have sealed the 2022 F1 World Championship title if he had gained the race and seen his key rivals rating low factors, however the Dutchman confronted an uphill battle from solely eighth on the grid, after having aborted his last qualifying run on Saturday over gas issues.
After a gradual begin that noticed him lose 4 locations on the opening lap, Verstappen had clawed his means as much as fifth, however locked his tyres badly when making an attempt to go the McLaren of Lando Norris, necessitating an additional pit cease for a brand new set and ruining any likelihood of difficult for victory.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton additionally had an inconsistent race, coming residence ninth after two separate errors, one in every of which resulted in a alternative entrance wing.
Heavy rain noticed the beginning delayed by one hour, and when the race did get underway, all of the drivers have been on Intermediate tyres, with Perez getting the higher of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to go the Ferrari for the lead at Turn 1.
Though Leclerc put Perez underneath intense stress, particularly within the mid-portion of the race, the Mexican was in a position to maintain the Monegasque at bay to take his second win of the season and the fourth of his profession.
The Mexican’s win stays provisional, nonetheless, as stewards examine a Safety Car infringement. Conscious of a possible time penalty, Red Bull instructed Perez to push laborious in the direction of the top of the race to construct a spot to Leclerc, with the Mexican finally crossing the road 7.6 seconds forward of the Ferrari.
“Certainly my best performance,” stated Perez afterwards. “I controlled the race, the last few laps were so intense. I gave it everything for the win today. I have no idea what’s going on [with the investigation]. I was just told to increase the gap. All in all, a fantastic day.”
Behind the highest two, Carlos Sainz rounded out the rostrum for Ferrari, with the McLarens of Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo ending a robust fourth and fifth, after each gained positions due to a fortuitously-timed Safety Car interval.
Lance Stroll took a robust sixth place for Aston Martin, with Verstappen salvaging seventh after his eventful race, passing Stroll’s teammate Sebastian Vettel on the ultimate lap.
Behind Hamilton, Pierre Gasly rounded out the factors positions in his AlphaTauri. George Russell completed exterior the factors for Mercedes after an early swap to slick tyres proved to be the improper name.
In a race of bizarre attrition by fashionable F1 requirements, Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon, Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, Nicholas Latifi and Zhou Guanyu all did not see the chequered flag.
Despite a poor afternoon, Verstappen nonetheless leads the Drivers’ Championship with 341 factors. The Dutchman is 104 factors forward of second-placed Leclerc, and can win the title at subsequent weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix if he ends that race with a factors lead of at the very least 112.
Leclerc now has 237 factors, however Perez’s win means he has closed to inside two factors of the Monegasque.
In the Constructors’ Championship, Red Bull nonetheless lead and now have 576 factors. Ferrari keep second with 439, and Mercedes stay third with 373 factors.
Next weekend sees F1 head to Suzuka for the primary Japanese Grand Prix since 2019.