Ferrari's Carlos Sainz wins 2023 Singapore Grand Prix

MANILA: Carlos Sainz won the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix for Ferrari, putting an end to the record streak of 10 victories in a row of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton placed third, with Sainz being only 0.812 ahead at the finish line.

The Ferrari driver started on pole position and stayed through the final laps despite severely worn tires. Mercedes’ George Russell, who was running in third place, crashed on the final lap, giving Hamilton the podium spot.

“We nailed the race, we did everything that we had to do. We did it perfectly and we brought home a P1 that I’m sure all Italy and Ferrari are going to be proud and happy today,” Sainz said as he celebrated his second Grand Prix win.

After the race, the Spanish racer revealed that he deliberately slowed down to keep Norris within the one-second window that gave him access to the drag reduction system (DRS) straight-line speed boost, which was a crucial tool in fending off the two Mercedes.

“Carlos was generous in helping me get DRS. It helped my race, and also helped his. It was tough. We knew it was going to be tough as soon as the Mercedes boxed, especially with only a couple of cars for them to overtake but we’re on the podium, P2, we held them off, we did everything we needed to do and more,” the McLaren driver said.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc placed fourth, while Verstappen finished fifth.

Photos from Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile and Formula 1

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