It has been a while since Red Bull failed to win a Formula One race so the Singapore Grand Prix gave fans some unexpected variety when Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz secured victory in Sunday’s night race.
Such has been Red Bull’s dominance, the last time one of their drivers failed to win a race was in November 2022, when Mercedes’ George Russell won the Brazilian Grand Prix.
Since then, the team has embarked on a record-breaking run. Max Verstappen secured a historic 10th consecutive race win last month, his 12th victory of the season overall, while teammate Sergio Perez had won the other races on the calendar, putting Red Bull on a run of 15 successive wins dating back to last year.
But a disappointing qualifying session on Saturday left Verstappen starting from 11th on the grid and Perez 13th, ruining Red Bull’s hopes of winning at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. “You can’t pass. On other tracks you can start last and win the race. But not here,” Verstappen told reporters on Saturday, per Reuters.
Red Bull’s qualifying struggles opened the door for others on Sunday and it was Sainz who capitalized, claiming victory from pole position to end Red Bull’s hopes of winning every race this year.
McLaren’s Lando Norris was second, while Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton was third, finishing over a second behind the Spaniard who celebrated his second win for Ferrari.
“We nailed the race,” Sainz told reporters. “We did everything we had to do. We did it perfect and we brought home a P1 that I’m sure all Italy and Ferrari is going to be proud and happy.”
Verstappen crossed the line in fifth – extending his championship lead with just seven races remaining – while Perez was eighth.
The safety car made an appearance on lap 20 when Logan Sargeant had left debris on the track after the Williams driver had hit a wall.
Towards the end of the race the virtual safety car was used as Esteban Ocon came to a stop on the track, which allowed Mercedes pair of Hamilton and George Russell to change to new medium tires and set up a thrilling finish. Both passed Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who finished fourth, but failed to chase down Norris and Perez, with Russell crashing out in the final stages.