F1 2023: Sainz wins Singapore GP as Russell crashes out on final lap!

For the 15th round of the 2023 season, Formula One headed to the 4.940 km long Marina Bay Street Circuit for the Singapore Grand Prix. For the first time this season, Red Bull Racing did not win a race, with Carlos Sainz converting his Pole position to a victory, despite facing heat from McLaren’s Lando Norris and Mercedes duo George Russell and Lewis Hamilton in the last few laps.
After a massive collision in Qualifying, Lance Stroll did not participate in the race, leaving an empty spot on the grid. Meanwhile Zhou Guanyu started the race from the pits. Sainz managed to get a good start, managing to stay ahead of the pack. Ferrari continued to maintain a 1-2 at the front, after Leclerc’s overtake on Russell early on.
“Overtaking isn’t going to happen on track, these guys are driving so far off the pace,” Hamilton was heard saying on the radio. Logan Sargeant’s crash on Lap 19 resulted in Yellow flags, and soon after, the Safety car was called out. With a host of drivers pitting, Verstappen got close to Sainz at front, however, without having made a pit stop.
Here are all the point scorers at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix –
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2. Lando Norris (McLaren)
3. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes)
4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
5. Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
6. Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
7. Oscar Piastri (Aston Martin)
8. Sergio Perez (Red Bull)
9. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri)
10. Kevin Magnussen (Haas)

Lap 44 saw Esteban Ocon stopped his Alpine with smoke coming out of the car. The birthday boy was running in sixth behind Fernando Alonso, with the veteran on +5 second penalty. The Alpine had to be retired, resulting in the deployment of Virtual Safety Car. The VSC saw a few drivers make a soft for fresher tyres, with Mercedes making a double pit.
Alonso’s race went from bad to worse, after spinning on Lap 47, bringing out the Yellow flag for a brief period. Meanwhile both Mercedes cars on new Medium tyres were gaining pace, hoping for a podium or even a win. After tailing Norris for the last few laps, Russell went into the barriers on Turn 10, ending his race, helping his teammate move up to podium.
In the end, it was Carlos Sainz who took his first win this season, with Lando Norris taking up second, following closely behind, and Lewis Hamilton on third. While Verstappen’s 10 consecutive win record came to an end, the Dutch driver finished in points, despite starting the race from 11th. Teammate Checo also managed to finish in 8th.