Ferrari's Vettel ends victory drought with Singapore GP triumph

Ferrari racer Sebastian Vettel ended his year-long drought with a win at the Singapore Grand Prix at a hazy street circuit on Sunday (September 22).

He recorded his fifth triumph in the city-state chasing teammate Charles Leclerc, who started on the top but lost the lead after making his pit stop. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen finished third in the race.

“It was a very late call on the pit stop and I just gave it everything on the out lap. I was surprised to come out ahead and it was difficult to manage the tyres but we controlled it to the end,” Vettel told reporters.

However, Marcedes driver Lewis Hamilton for the first time in a year could not get a podium finish. The championship leader, even after having the edge of Mercedes on that circuit, finished fourth but extended his advantage over fellow driver Valtteri Bottas to 65 points, with six races remaining, after the Finn finished in fifth.

The race started on a clean slate with the top six retaining their positions despite Vettel putting immense pressure on second-placed Hamilton in the opening lap.

While a few drivers were shifting position further down the field, the frontrunners were maintaining a one-second gap between each other as Leclerc set a slow pace to make his soft tyres last as long as possible.

Also read: Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc on pole for Singapore Grand Prix

Ferrari and Red Bull were the first of the big teams to bring their cars in for pit stops as Vettel and Verstappen were fitted with the more durable hard tyres on lap 20, with Leclerc following suit on the next lap.

Leclerc, however, was dismayed to leave the pits behind Vettel. Hamilton stayed out on track in the lead to set about forging a big enough gap to retain the lead when it was his turn to come in.

“I won’t do anything stupid, I want us to finish one-two,” Leclerc told Ferrari over the radio when he was behind the second safety car.

But Vettel, Leclerc and Verstappen were lapping much quicker than Hamilton and when the Briton finally stopped seven laps after his rivals, he emerged in a distant fourth place.

Hamilton’s only hope of victory was to capitalise on his rivals’ degraded tyres late in the race.

Also read: Mercedes driver Hamilton eyes Singapore hat-trick through the haze

But three safety car periods — when both George Russell and Sergio Perez stopped on the track, and when Daniil Kvyat collided with Kimi Raikkonen — allowed the front three plenty of time to cool their rubber.

Ferrari will be delighted to have recorded a one-two finish at a circuit they were not expected to muster a podium finish.

But Leclerc was unhappy with the pit strategy that dashed his hopes of a hat-trick after wins in Belgium and Italy.

“I just don’t think it’s fair,” said Leclerc.

Smog from forest fires in neighbouring Indonesia has shrouded Singapore over the past week, and on Sunday air quality dipped to unhealthy levels ahead of the race.

(With inputs from agencies)