F1 | Singapore Grand Prix Race Report

Sergio Perez holds off Charles Leclerc for victory in chaotic race as Max Verstappen denied title.

The season title was available for the taking for Max Verstappen. A win and a fastest lap would cement his title, but it was his teammate, Sergio Perez, who may have driven his beet race of his career that came away with the Singapore Grand Prix win extending the title fight to Japan.

Perez held off Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc to claim victory but forced to wait more than two hours after race for confirmation of win after stewards’ investigation for a possible Safety Car infringement. Perez pushed the time gap to the finish to the maximum amount he could, just over seven seconds, so when the 5-second time penalty came down, Perez still was the winner.

Perez passed pole-sitter Leclerc off the line at the start and withstood heavy pressure from the Monegasque for large portions of the grueling contest at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, with the race ending at the two-hour time limit as the multiple interruptions ensured the full 61 laps could not be completed.

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 02: Sergio Perez of Mexico and Red Bull Racing leads at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 02, 2022 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images,) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202210020629 // Usage for editorial use only //

It was certainly my best performance," Perez said after the race. “I controlled the race. I am so happy to get this victory for me and my Team, it means a lot to me. I haven’t been on the podium the last couple of races but I was always working under the radar and making big noises behind the scenes, so I am super proud of the performance today. Mentally it was tough and you had to stay alert for the whole race. It was super tricky in the conditions out there today and people underestimate how difficult it is to drive in those, going through the final sector was so hard. There was a bit of miscommunication with the safety car I think, he was going really fast in places where I couldn’t keep up with him and then slowing where I could go fast. We were driving on slicks in the wet trying to keep the temperature and that is difficult. When they told me I was under investigation I just pushed like qualifying for 15 laps to get as big a gap as possible to Charles.”Verstappen, who needed to win the race from eighth on the grid to have any chance of claiming his second successive title, looked to be coming into contention for a podium place before making an error that flat-spotted his tires and forced him to pit.

Verstappen’s world championship lead was reduced to 104 points, with Leclerc staying two points ahead of Perez in second, however, Verstappen will have more a realistic chance of closing out a dominant campaign in Japan next weekend as he needed everything to go his way in Singapore to clinch.

“First of all, well done to Checo today, he put in a great performance," said Verstappen post race. “From my side it was a frustrating weekend. The race didn’t start off well, I had an anti-stall so I lost a lot of positions at the start. From there onwards, I got myself back into a reasonable position after switching to slicks, but when I wanted to go for the move on Lando I braked and I hit a big bump and bottomed out and locked up. I boxed for new tires as I had a massive flat spot so I had to start all over again from the back. It’s tough to pass people on this track, especially when we’ve all got our tires up to temperature, so I was stuck for a while. It was good to get a few points but that’s not what we are here for, time to focus on to Japan.”

SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - OCTOBER 02: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and The Netherlands during the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 02, 2022 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images,) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202210020627 // Usage for editorial use only //

How Max Verstappen can win second championship at Japanese GP

Only Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc and Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez are still in a position to dethrone the reigning champion with five races of the season remaining, with Mercedes’ George Russell being eliminated from contention after failing to score points in Singapore.

Following the Singapore Grand Prix, Verstappen leads the way in the drivers’ standings with 341 points heading into the Japanese Grand Prix, 104 clear of Leclerc in second place and 106 ahead of third-placed Perez.

He needs to be 112 points clear after the race at Suzuka to ensure he has clinched the title with four races of the season to go, which would make him only the third driver after Michael Schumacher (2001 and 2004) and Sebastian Vettel (2011) to secure the crown with four races left.

Victory at Suzuka will see Verstappen crowned champion if Leclerc finishes lower than second.

However, victory with the bonus point for the fastest lap will ensure he retains his title irrespective of where the Ferrari man finishes.

Verstappen also has the advantage of head-to-head in terms of the tiebreaker of race wins, currently leading Leclerc 11-3, should the two end the year level on points.

A Verstappen win in Japan would ensure Perez can no longer win the title no matter where he finishes in the race.

Verstappen will not be crowned champion in Japan if Leclerc or Perez finish ahead of him. He would therefore have to wait until the following race in the USA to potentially seal the title.

The Dutchman definitely cannot win the title in Japan if he finishes outside the top six.