SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Red Bull’s Sergio Perez took a lights-to-flag win in Sunday’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix, as championship leader Max Verstappen finished only seventh after making an error and ruining a set of tyres.
An eventful and rain-affected race that hit the two-hour time limit also witnessed two separate Safety Car and Virtual Safety Car periods, as drivers struggled to cope with slippery conditions and the unforgiving walls of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Verstappen could have sealed the 2022 F1 World Championship title if he had won the race and seen his key rivals score low points, but the Dutchman faced an uphill struggle from only eighth on the grid, after having aborted his final qualifying run on Saturday over fuel concerns.
After a slow start that saw him lose four places on the opening lap, Verstappen had clawed his way up to fifth, but locked his tyres badly when trying to pass the McLaren of Lando Norris, necessitating an extra pit stop for a new set and ruining any chance of challenging for victory.
Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton also had an inconsistent race, coming home ninth after two separate errors, one of which resulted in a replacement front wing.
Heavy rain saw the start delayed by one hour, and when the race did get underway, all the drivers were on Intermediate tyres, with Perez getting the better of pole-sitter Charles Leclerc to pass the Ferrari for the lead at Turn 1.
Though Leclerc put Perez under intense pressure, especially in the mid-portion of the race, the Mexican was able to keep the Monegasque at bay to take his second win of the season and the fourth of his career.
The Mexican’s win remains provisional, however, as stewards investigate a Safety Car infringement. Conscious of a potential time penalty, Red Bull instructed Perez to push hard towards the end of the race to build a gap to Leclerc, with the Mexican eventually crossing the line 7.6 seconds ahead of the Ferrari.