Sergio Perez
The man for whom Red Bull team boss Christian Horner put his knowledge of Spanish on a “Vamos!” is one for the road: After winning in Monte Carlo in May, Sergio Perez triumphed for the second time this year in the slippery stop-and-go circuit of Singapore. In doing so, he not only saved his team’s honor from Ferrari and improved the title chances of struggling colleague Max Verstappen, he also gave himself some peace of mind. The media in Formula 1 would exaggerate everything, he complained, maybe because he was just a Mexican: “If I don’t get on the podium two races in a row, I’m suddenly supposed to have my worst season and Red Bull have to me fire.” In fact, the 32-year-old’s racing year has been one of ups and downs at a high level, and it almost continued after the victory fireworks at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. His fourth career success was only secured two and a half hours after crossing the finish line, until then the stewards were meeting behind the safety car because of two offenses. Once he was warned for it, once he got five penalty seconds – that was just enough with a lead of 7.5 seconds over Leclerc. Vamos!
Max Verstappen
The cost-benefit calculation of a world champion in Spe is quickly revealed: “Seventh is better than eighth, but I’m definitely not here for that,” said Max Verstappen, who had won eleven of the 15 races of the season before Singapore, the last five of them in series. It was unlikely that he would defend his title early on the equator, but it was definitely possible. Maybe that’s how it would have happened if his team hadn’t miscalculated when calculating the fuel for the decisive qualifying round. But as it was, unusual mistakes could also be observed in the Dutchman’s race to catch up from eighth place. At the start he didn’t get the clutch going properly, later he under-braked spectacularly after a bump, but he always fought back. He doesn’t have to be really nervous either: After the coming weekend he has to be 112 points ahead of his closest rival, then he would be through four races before the end of the season. The safest thing would be a win with the fastest lap. That’s why he flies to Suzuka.
Charles Leclerc
Nine pole positions, only two of which converted into a win. In Singapore, the Monegasse remained true to its pattern, Sergio Perez overtook the Ferrari right from the start. But it couldn’t have been better, and his Scuderia had chosen the right strategy both in qualifying and in the night race. After a good half of the distance, the 24-year-old was the first in the leading group to put on the dry tires. In fact, Leclerc was able to follow the Red Bull racing car in front quite well, but then the Mexican really made steam in front of him – he had heard about the impending time penalty. Leclerc got it right once, but he saved himself the panic attack: “I was waiting for a better opportunity. Unfortunately, it didn’t come.” That could be something like his season conclusion, and that for his third-placed teammate Carlos Sainz Junior as well.
Lewis Hamilton
That banned nose stud thing aside, this is kid’s stuff for overzealous officials. The nose thing is a lot more interesting because it’s rare for a Mercedes to get stuck in the barriers like that. One of two mistakes by the record world champion in the Sauna Grand Prix, an unusual rate for him. Saturday’s performance, when he narrowly missed pole position, and ninth place in a messed-up race, didn’t really go together for him either. If someone like him starts sentences with “actually”, then you don’t need to listen any further, because that really shouldn’t be the claim of the champion and his team. Rain and bumps, multiplied by the basic bouncing movements of the car, that was a fatal combination. “To say that this weekend was up and down would be an understatement,” says Hamilton. He could have said that in one word, but that would have to be bleeped over at this point.
Mike Schumacher
To have made it through as the only Singapore rookie would be a star behind Mick Schumacher’s 13th place. Unfortunately, even with the nice guys, Formula 1 doesn’t work like the book from Santa Claus. Thirteenth, that also means penultimate at the finish. Behind him was only George Russell in the Silver Arrow, which he had collided with and suffered a flat tire. It’s the Schumi curse of the racing year: Often, when he’s on a good course, something goes wrong. This is particularly annoying right now because he is fighting for a cockpit with his current employer or with Williams, i.e. for his survival in the premier class. Sixth place would have been possible, believes the 23-year-old: “The chance was there. Our car is wet.” Team boss Günther Steiner agrees: “We showed what would have been possible.” The race against the subjunctive continues.
Fernando Alonso
A picture popular at family gatherings, all grouped around the elder. That’s what 19 Formula 1 drivers did before the start of the Singapore Grand Prix, when they named racing forefather Fernando Alonso in the middle. The sign in front of the Spaniard ended the heated debates about how many races the 41-year-old has contested in his two decades of premier class. Since there is no official book of statistics in this number-bound sport of all things, the numbers 350 and 351 were disputed. Depending on whether breakdowns at the start count or not. But the sign clearly had a zero on the back, so that settles it. The Formula 1 marathon driver was then able to follow his anniversary Grand Prix as far as possible behind the safety fence, crouching next to a marshal. Having started from a promising fifth place, the Renault engine gave up after a third of the distance as abruptly as if someone had blown out a candle.
Alexander Albon
It’s something to be back in a racing car three weeks after an appendix operation and a respiratory arrest, and that in the toughest race of the year, with 80 percent humidity and 50 degrees heat in the cockpit. The Formula 1 drivers lose three kilograms of fluid during the two hours of racing. The British-Thai driver in the Williams had previously weighed a pound and a half less than usual, as well as losing muscle mass. “But I never planned not to race here,” he said. Starting position 18 was a first setback, the spin on the first lap and a kiss on the wall shortly before half of the race ended his frantic rehab prematurely. The 26-year-old was honest with himself: “There was no problem with the car. It was just a driver’s error.”