Martin Brundle on the results of the Singapore Grand Prix

Martin Brundle, a former Formula 1 driver and now a popular commentator on Sky Sports, summarized the key results of the Singapore Grand Prix, where Sergio Perez took a landslide victory.

It was a typical Singaporean race – strange as always, but very interesting nonetheless. And, as always, it was strange to eat at 2 a.m., go to bed at 6 a.m., and be ready for work at 3 p.m. Actually, the weekend program was moved to the evening, but every day for a few hours we caught the sun.

But the main events on all three days of the weekend took place under floodlights, so somehow the track and pit lane looked particularly dramatic, and it was nice to return here after three years of forced absence.

In fact, given the geographical and climatic characteristics of these places, it is surprising that during the previous 12 Singapore Grand Prix work on the track was rarely accompanied by rain, but this time it was such weather conditions that affected the outcome of qualifying and the race. predetermined.

As the evening sun can no longer help dry the asphalt surface and high humidity negates the fact that the track temperature was approaching 30 degrees, the road surface remained damp for a long time, especially in the areas where it was renewed.

It seems we were almost always in a situation where it was already too dry for the intermediate tires and still too wet for the slicks, especially off the racing line and in the braking areas. And whoever decided to take a risk and switched to slicks too early had to pay for it.

For one hour of qualifying, the lap time on the intermediate rubber, when the track was still quite wet, was about 1 min 54 seconds. reduced to just 1:49.412 – with such a result, Charles Leclerc took pole when the track was mostly dry.

Admittedly, Max Verstappen should have taken pole, but he remained on track for a significant part of the 12 minutes of the closing session and this resulted in him having to cut off the last attempt with two turns before the end of the lap to get into the tank. of the car enough fuel for the mandatory technical inspection of the FIA.

Give such an order to the championship leader, and he will speak to the team without choosing expressions. Behind the outward calm and equanimity shown by Max in 2022, his irascibility still hides, but in a situation where he is just one step away from a second title, his emotions only speak for how much he feels about losing pole position. and ultimately victory, despite all the dominance he has achieved with his team.

Pole was won by Charles, although his car was clearly skidding and he locked up the wheels on all the braking, but these mistakes didn’t cost him as much as his rivals.

Many predicted with certainty that the chance of rain during the Grand Prix had decreased considerably, but 75 minutes before the start there was a heavy shower. Singapore has long been accustomed to this type of precipitation, and drainage systems are everywhere, yet we had to wait for the storm front to pass before giving the start with a 65-minute delay.

But you have to wonder why F1 carries heavy rain tires all over the world if they are never used when there is still water on the track.

As soon as the race started, Sergio Pérez, who started him from the front row, managed to ensure that the driving wheels of his RBR18 held the track well during the acceleration distance, and he was already leading by the 1st corner. As it turned out, this was the fate of the victory predetermined.

For the next two hours, Sergio drove with impressive confidence. He managed to find the right approach to the track, where the risk of crashing into a wall is high, and the race was constantly interrupted by the introduction of a virtual safety car mode and the appearance of a real safety car. At the same time, the red Ferrari of Leclerc loomed in the mirrors of the Mexican car all the time, which was very determined.

Where else are your mental toughness and physical fitness put to the test for two hours, and even against the backdrop of constant risk?

Sergio was very lucky to receive only one 5-second penalty for failing to keep a 10-car length distance when he was behind the safety car. He probably convinced the stewards by explaining this with cold tires and difficult conditions.
In general, quite a long time passed after the finish, when his victory was confirmed – this feat would grace the track record of any Formula 1 driver, as success was achieved as a result of a sharp battle that required maximum effort.

It so happened that in several previous races Sergio was almost invisible, but in the most difficult conditions he showed himself to be a mature professional who knows how to act calmly and thoughtfully.

And Leclerc again felt the bitterness of defeat, even though he started from pole position. But a slight slip of the drive wheels, admitted at the start, and a hitch during the pit stop didn’t allow him to get ahead of Perez.

Both Ferrari drivers made it to the podium, but Carlos Sainz was just as upset as his teammate because he had problems with the pace during the race. Verstappen did not claim a victory this time, as he was stuck in traffic and had to experience all kinds of adventures during the Grand Prix.

During practice I followed events on track, in one of the corners, and I saw that although the Mercedes drivers showed good pace, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell especially had to work harder behind the wheel than Leclerc and Sainz, whose Ferrari looked quite stable and confident.

This turned out to be true in the race. Starting from the pit lane, George ran into several problems over the course of the Grand Prix when he was unable to avoid contact with rival cars. He was the first to switch to slicks and this only helped the others decide as everyone saw that he was in big trouble. In the end, he finished last of the 14 riders who managed to cover the distance, and was obviously very upset.

Lewis wasn’t much luckier; he was in ninth after braking too late for Turn 7 and hitting the guardrails instead of taking advantage of the relegation zone. He then tried to get ahead of Sebastian Vettel for the 8th corner, although he was on the wet part of the track, but let Verstappen go ahead alone.

Max also had braking problems for Turn 7, after which he had to recuperate for the entire race.

Neither of the two Alpine cars was able to finish due to engine problems, which left Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo in 4th and 5th place and McLaren in 4th place in the Constructors’ Championship. Lando had a great race, although of course he was lucky with the safety car – as was his partner.

The Aston Martin drivers finished sixth (Lance Stroll) and eighth (Sebastian Vettel) – a very good result for them and for the team, taking it straight to seventh in the Constructors’ Championship.

As always, the Grand Prix had an exciting scenario thanks to the changeable weather and I admire the drivers who were able to face all the difficulties and drove their extremely fast and powerful cars.