SINGAPORE: Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday (Sep 17) to end Formula 1 leader Max Verstappen’s record run of 10 wins in a row and shatter Red Bull’s dream of going through the season unbeaten.
McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton took third place as Red Bull ended up off the podium for the first time since last November’s Brazilian Grand Prix.
Red Bull had won 15 successive races until Sunday but that looked set to end from the moment they failed to qualify in the top 10.
Double world champion Verstappen started 11th and finished fifth, with teammate and closest rival Sergio Perez, last year’s winner in Singapore, eighth.
The 2023 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix drew a more-than-expected 264,108 spectators over the race weekend.
Organisers had said last week they were anticipating only about 250,000 spectators due to the closure of the Bay Grandstand as part of efforts to redevelop The Float @ Marina Bay.
Last year, the event attracted a record 302,000 spectators, surpassing the 268,000 figure for the 2019 edition. The Singapore Grand Prix was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a news release on Sunday, the organisers said that in “a sign of continuing strong demand into 2024”, the Super Early Bird tickets for next year’s race have sold out, having gone on sale only 72 hours ago.
Source: CNA
