Race recap: Carlos gets it done and wins. Charles fourth
Singapore 17 settembre 2023
Time for the 14th Singapore Grand Prix, with air temperature at 30 degrees and the track at 35. Carlos is on Medium tyres, Charles on Softs.
Start. Sainz keeps the lead and Leclerc makes the most of the Softs to get ahead of George Russell, so Ferrari are first and second.
Lap 15. A quarter of the race gone and, as is often the case in Singapore, the field is running at cruising speed. Ferrari are still first and second.
Lap 20. Safety Car as Logan Sargeant’s Williams is dropping debris on track. Time for a double pit stop after which Carlos still leads, but Charles is held up waiting for a Mercedes to come past in pit lane. He rejoins sixth, but ahead of him Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez have yet to pit. Both Ferraris are now on Hard tyres.
Lap 23. At the restart, Charles attacks Lando Norris but, in avoiding a collision, he is passed by Lewis Hamilton.
Lap 25. Charles passes Perez for sixth place.
Lap 28. Now the Monegasque overtakes Verstappen to go fifth.
Lap 44. Esteban Ocon stops on track. Virtual Safety Car and the two Mercedes pit. Carlos leads from Norris and Leclerc.
Lap 54. Russell is on new Medium tyres and catches Charles, passing him for third place, followed shortly after by Hamilton. Leclerc is fifth.
Lap 58. Towards the end, Russell and Hamilton close on Norris and Sainz, but the Spaniard allows the McLaren driver to get in DRS range, to make it harder for the Mercedes duo to pass him.
Lap 62. Russell crashes into the barriers, while Carlos fends off Norris and Hamilton all the way to the chequered flag, to secure his second F1 career win.