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5 Winners and 5 Losers from the Singapore Grand Prix – Who sparkled under the Marina Bay lights?
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Lando Norris was the biggest winner of them all in Singapore as he converted a sensational pole position into a brilliant Grand Prix victory. But it wasn’t all smiles for everyone. Lawrence Barretto picks out his winners and losers under the lights at Marina Bay...
Winner: Lando Norris
Lando Norris delivered one of the most commanding drives in recent memory as he lapped the field up to and including eighth-placed Fernando Alonso.
His winning margin over title rival Max Verstappen was 20.945s, the second largest of the season.
A great start also helped him lead the first lap when starting from pole for the first time in six attempts.
The now three-time winner trails Verstappen by just 52 points with six Grands Prix and three Sprints to go.
Norris secured a dominant victory in Singapore
Loser: Daniel Ricciardo
This was the most challenging weekend of Daniel Ricciardo’s career. The Australian arrived in Singapore amid speculation his future in F1 was under threat.
A strong showing in Friday practice raised hopes of a points-scoring finish, but he lost his way on Saturday and was booted out of qualifying in the first segment.
He struggled to make progress from 16th and while he pitted late on to steal fastest lap (but not the point as he was outside the top-10), it was of little consolation.
Winner: Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen was in a world of pain on Friday as he struggled to get comfortable in a Red Bull that disliked the bumps and kerbs of Singapore’s Marina Bay street track.
However, he and the team turned things around for Saturday, the Dutchman surprising himself by taking the front row. He then converted that into second to limit the damage in the title fight.
With his former team mate and friend Ricciardo taking fastest lap away from Norris, it means Verstappen can be champion if he finishes second to Norris in the remaining Grands Prix and Sprints regardless of fastest lap bonuses.
It was arguably the toughest weekend of Ricciardo's F1 career - and possibly the last
Loser: Alex Albon
Saturday was frustrating as Alex Albon ended up outside of the top-10 despite feeling he had a car comfortably capable of reaching Q3.
Having been passed by new Williams team mate Franco Colapinto at the start, the Thai driver ran 15th – four places lower than where he had started.
A cooling issue with the power unit forced his retirement in a race where Albon felt Williams – which was running a front suspension upgrade – had a car capable of scoring points.
Winner: Oscar Piastri
Oscar Piastri continued his rich vein of form, bouncing back from an off-colour qualifying where he finished fifth to take a super podium with third.
It was the Australian’s fifth podium in six Grands Prix and seventh of the season. He is the top scorer in the last nine events with 156 points.
The haul of 15 points for third moves him to within eight points of third-placed Charles Leclerc and combined with Norris’ victory, it moves McLaren 41 clear at the top of the constructors’ championship.
Albon was forced to retire from the race in Singapore
Loser: Sergio Perez
This was a difficult weekend for Sergio Perez. As team mate Verstappen shone in qualifying with second, Checo could only manage 13th.
He battled back to score a point in 10th – but he was frustrated with his slow progress. After his crash in Baku, it means he has scored just a single point in two events.
His tally of 13 in the last four Grands Prix is smaller than Verstappen managed in Singapore alone (18).
Winners: Haas
For the first time this season, Haas have scored points in three successive events, as Nico Hulkenberg converted a brilliant sixth on the grid to ninth in the Grand Prix.
This was his first points finish since Silverstone and sixth of the season, moving him up to 10th in the drivers’ standings on 24 points.
Ninth also matches Haas’ best-ever result in Singapore – Romain Grosjean achieved the feat back in 2017.
Hulkenberg bagged his sixth points finish of the season in Singapore
Losers: Sauber
Sauber had very little to write home about after another lacklustre Grand Prix where they failed to get either car out of Q1 and never looked likely to fight back into the points.
Zhou Guanyu finished 15th, one place ahead of Valtteri Bottas, having started behind the Finn.
The Swiss team have not finished as high as 13th – three places outside of the points – in any of the last eight Grands Prix and remain bottom of the championship without a single point.
Winner: Fernando Alonso
Fernando Alonso delivered another strong weekend’s work, qualifying inside the top-10 as he started seventh for the fourth time in the last six races.
He then held on for a top-10 finish with eighth to score points in Singapore for the first time since 2018.
The Spanish double world champion has now scored in four of the last five races, to remain a comfortable ninth in the drivers’ standings on 62 points, 38 clear of team mate Lance Stroll.
Aston Martin's Alonso has now scored in four of the last five races
Loser: Lewis Hamilton
Lewis Hamilton delivered one of his best qualifying performances of the season to take third, maintaining his record of qualifying inside the top-five in all 15 Singapore Grands Prix.
He gambled on starting on a used soft tyre – but that forced an earlier pit stop which ultimately dropped him behind Mercedes team mate George Russell whom he had outqualified for only the fifth time this year.
The seven-time world champion crossed the line sixth, in what was his 350th Grand Prix. That moves him into second in the all-time list behind Fernando Alonso on 395.
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