F1: Lewis Hamilton wins the Singapore GP and extends title lead
Mercedes driver controls the race to finish ahead of Verstappen and Vettel
Lewis Hamilton believes his wonder lap in qualifying was a “monumental moment” for Mercedes as he went on to secure victory in the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.
The British driver, the reigning world champion, has now extended his lead in the title race to 40 points over nearest rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari.
Singapore once again saw drama on the opening lap when Force India’s Esteban Ocon went into the wall after being pushed wide by teammate Sergio Perez. But for the race leader Hamilton it was a comfortable night under the lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
He cruised to victory with a “dominant display”, says F1.com, as he took the chequered flag ahead of Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Ferrari’s Vettel.
Following his superb lap in qualifying Hamilton spoke about how important the pole position was. He told Sky Sports: “We knew they [Ferrari] were going to be spectacular here this weekend and we knew it was going to take something quite special to beat them. It [the qualifying lap] was quite a monumental moment for us as a team.
“I definitely didn’t think I’d come to Singapore with ten points more [in the lead of the title], but I’m very grateful.”
On the race itself he added: “It was long, but it was still fun. Driving this track is incredible, especially with these cars. I got a great start and was able to control the pack, control the tyres and push where I needed to push.”
After slipping further behind Hamilton in the championship Vettel said that the Ferrari strategy gave the team no chance of victory.
He said: “We tried to be aggressive in the beginning and obviously it didn’t work out. With the way we raced today we didn’t have a chance.
“I said before the weekend we could only beat ourselves and I think today we didn’t get everything out of our package.”
Hamilton is top of the F1 drivers’ standings with 281 points and Vettel is 40 behind on 241. In the constructors’ championship Mercedes lead on 415 points ahead of Ferrari (390) and Red Bull (248).
The next race is the Russian Grand Prix in Sochi on 30 September.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Why Māori are protesting in New Zealand
A controversial bill has ignited a 'flashpoint in race relations' as opponents claim it will undermine the rights of Indigenous people
By Richard Windsor, The Week UK Published
-
Crossword: November 21, 2024
The Week's daily crossword
By The Week Staff Published
-
Sudoku hard: November 21, 2024
The Week's daily hard sudoku puzzle
By The Week Staff Published
-
Christian Horner and the Red Bull saga that refuses to go away
Why everyone's talking about 'Too dizzy-making' even for the 'merry-go-round world of F1'
By The Week UK Published
-
Max Verstappen: F1’s record-breaking world champion
Why Everyone’s Talking About Red Bull star has surpassed records set by Schumacher, Vettel and Hamilton
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1 ‘silly season’ hits top speed as 2023 grid takes shape
Under the Radar Twitter explodes with news of driver moves, denials and rumours
By Mike Starling Published
-
Lewis Hamilton on his F1 future: ‘I have plenty of fuel in the tank’
Under the Radar Seven-time world champion finished second on his 300th grand prix start
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1: a bumpy start to the season for Mercedes, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell
Under the Radar Only four races in and Mercedes already look off the pace
By The Week Staff Published
-
F1 Bahrain GP reactions: Ferrari ‘back with a bang’ as Leclerc ‘tames the beast’
feature The Tifosi celebrate a stunning one-two for Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz
By Mike Starling Published
-
F1 2022 season guide: race calendar, championship standings and 2023 grid
feature Max Verstappen has now won 14 of this season’s 20 grands prix
By The Week Staff Last updated
-
Mason Greenwood: footballer arrested on suspicion of rape and assault
Speed Read Man Utd confirm the striker will not train or play until further notice
By The Week Staff Published