Ferrari‘s Carlos Sainz claimed the Formula 1 Driver of the Day award at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix after a moment of genius at the end of the race gifted him a second career win.
The pole-sitter led every lap of the latest race around the Marina Bay Street Circuit but the pressure was truly on when both Mercedes cars switched to medium tyres under a virtual safety car on Lap 44.
The Silver Arrows enjoyed a two second per lap advantage and seemed set to steal the win, but a shrewd decision from Sainz to give Lando Norris DRS allowed the pair to keep George Russell and Lewis Hamilton at arm’s length.
Despite having superior cornering speeds and traction, neither car could make a move on Norris and by extension Sainz, who held on to gift Ferrari their first win since the 2022 Austrian Grand Prix.
The Spaniard showed incredible awareness to think strategically to pull off his DRS trick, whilst remaining on the limit of his hard compound tyres which were put onto the car on Lap 20.
Red Bull can win the Constructors’ Championship in Japan
Red Bull came into the Singapore GP needing to out-score Mercedes by 43 points to claim their second successive constructor’s championship title, but a terrible qualifying left that possibility almost unthinkable.
The team had failed to get their car under control all weekend, struggling with wheelspin out of the corners, and suffered a shock double Q2 elimination as Max Verstappen was eliminated by Liam Lawson.
Verstappen started 11th and recovered to 5th, but it was not enough to gain the necessary buffer needed to win the team’s title as Lewis Hamilton finished third, and Sergio Perez failed to score points.
They will likely win the title at the Japanese GP, which is scheduled to take place from September 22-24.
