It just wasn’t the days of Max Verstappen. After what he saw as a chaotic race weekend in Singapore, the World Championship leader missed out on the podium and thus missed the early defense of the World Championship title, which theoretically would have been possible.
But the 25-year-old Dutchman only started the race from eighth place on the grid, which started more than an hour later than planned due to heavy rain, and ended up seventh ahead of Sebastian Vettel and Briton Lewis Hamilton, both of whom he overtook shortly before the end of the race could. For the early title defense, however, victory would have been a prerequisite in any case.
Calculation error in qualifying
After qualifying on Saturday, it was already clear that Verstappen, who had never won in Singapore before, would not do anything this weekend after five wins in a row. Verstappen was even on a fast lap and the way to pole position seemed clear. But an embarrassing mistake by the command post ruined everything. On the last fast lap, on course for the best time, the Dutchman was called back to the pits. And so the pole position went to Charles Leclerc. “What the hell?!” Verstappen yelled into the radio, “why?! Unbelievable guys!”
Red Bull later provided the explanation that there was simply not enough petrol in the tank. They miscalculated and ordered Verstappen back into the pits to avoid a penalty transfer. This would have threatened if there had not been enough fuel for the mandatory test in the Dutchman’s car.
“It’s incredibly frustrating and shouldn’t happen,” said Verstappen, describing the mistake as “unacceptable”. He now has to “go to the hotel and switch off,” said the world championship leader and left the track quickly. “That’s the way it is in this business. You’re never far from screwing something up,” said Red Bull Motorsport Director Christian Horner about the tactical error immediately before the race at Sky.
Verstappen on the razor blade
Everyone was already waiting for the start, which had to be postponed due to the heavy rainfall over the South Asian metropolis. On the again reasonably dry track, Verstappen team-mate Sergio Perez made the best start and conceded Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, which had started the race from pole position, immediately after the start and then drove towards victory in a spotlessly clean race.
For Max Verstappen, on the other hand, the race was almost over after the first few meters after Kevin Magnussen, Mick Schumacher’s teammate at Haas, had put him under severe pressure. But Verstappen was fast enough on the brakes and was able to continue. “Still too wet,” was the Dutchman’s abrupt answer to the team radio question about a tire change.
A correct assessment, as he found out a few laps later. With new tyres, the World Championship leader got into trouble after a safety car restart on a stretch of track that was still wet and could be happy that he was able to steer his car, which only steers straight when braking, into the spacious run-off area and take part in the race could continue a little loss of time.
Perez first, but also winner?
Thanks to Sergio Perez, the Singapore Grand Prix was a success for Red Bull, despite Verstappen missing out on the early World Championship title. After the five Verstappen victories, the Mexican is building Red’s winning streak with his second win of the season after triumphing at the Monaco Grand Prix Bull is now out for six races in a row. The Mexican driver and his Austrian team still had to worry because Perez received a five-second time penalty due to a distance error during a safety car phase.
In the last few laps he had driven this out ahead as a cushion on Charles Leclerc. However, another breach by Perez in relation to the maximum allowable distance to the safety car was investigated after the race, which would have given Perez a further five second penalty and Charles Leclerc then the win. “In our experience, the five-second penalty that was pronounced here is correct,” said Red Bull Motorsport consultant Dr. Helmut Marko after the race at Sky. Everything else is “ridiculous” from his point of view.
“Whatever comes, he’s definitely the moral winner,” said Marko about his protégé Perez. Overall, this is Perez’s eighth podium finish this season. In the World Championship standings, the Mexican is now third with 235 points and just two points behind Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc (237).
Despite his mixed race weekend, Max Verstappen is in first place in the drivers’ standings with a clear lead. The Formula 1 world title defender now has 341 points under his belt and in a week’s time he will have his next chance to win his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix in Suzuka (race October 9th, 7 a.m. CEST). to bring roof and fold.
