Carlos Sainz Wins Red Bull’s Winning Streak
Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, ending Red Bull’s winning streak of 10 races in 2023. The Spaniard drove a perfect race to control the night race around the city-center street circuit from pole position to take only his second career win.
Lando Norris was second after a brilliant defensive drive to hold off the Mercedes pair of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell. Russell was close to tears after crashing his Mercedes on the final lap after attempting a late victory charge on fresher tires.
Championship leader Max Verstappen, who had won the last 10 races, was only fifth as Red Bull failed to take the chequered flag for the first time this season after a weekend where they were consistently off the pace.
Sainz controlled the race brilliantly, but a virtual safety car 20 laps from the end gave the two Mercedes a chance to change to fresh medium-compound tires. Russell and Hamilton came out flying and soon reeled in and passed the second Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.
But when they got on the heels of the top two they could not get past as Sainz cleverly backed up to keep Norris within DRS (drag reduction system) range so the Englishman could defend second place.
“It was just quite tight at the end. We gave Lando a cheeky DRS boost to help him and in the end, it worked,” said Sainz.
“The safety car forced us to pit earlier than we wanted and I knew it was going to be a long stint on the hards.”
Russell was all over the back of Norris until his challenge ended in the barriers, handing Hamilton the final podium place.
“It’s heartbreaking after such a great weekend,” said Russell. “I feel like I let myself and the team down. It’s tough but we will come back.”
Norris was grateful for the help he received from Sainz, his former teammate.
“Carlos was very generous in trying to help me get DRS. It helped my race and it also helped his,” said Norris.
Alpine driver Pierre Gasly was sixth, with McLaren’s Oscar Piastri seventh. Rookie Liam Lawson picked up his first championship points in ninth for AlphaTauri on only his third Formula One start and Haas’s Kevin Magnussen rounded out the top 10 points scorers.
Verstappen is still a runaway favorite to claim a third world title but the all-conquering Dutchman has still never taken the chequered flag in Singapore.
He now cannot clinch the title until the Qatar GP in three weeks, but said the team would bounce back at next weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, where the track will suit them better.
“I had fun in the second stint. We were quite quick on the medium compound,” said Verstappen, who increased his lead over Perez to 151 points with seven races to go.
“I think we will be quick in Suzuka.”