The return of the Singapore Grand Prix after a two-year absence from the F1 calendar proved a challenging weekend for the 20 drivers, made even more difficult by heavy rain on both Saturday and Sunday.
The two-hour long race pushed drivers’ concentration to the limits, with a high rate of attrition in no small part due to many driving errors committed through the field.
However, while some wilted under the floodlights, others flourished and enjoyed their best results of the season so far. Here are the RaceFans driver ratings for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton – 4
Qualified: 3rd (+8 places ahead of team mate)
-1.321s quicker than team mate in Q2
Finished: 9th (+5 places ahead of team mate)
- Fastest in opening practice
- Secured best qualifying of the season in third, half a tenth of a second from pole
- Lost out to Sainz off the line, running in fourth through the first half of the race
- Got within a second of Sainz but crashed head-on into the barriers at turn seven, damaging front wing
- Pitted for new front wing and slicks, rejoining ninth before Safety Car
- Pressured Vettel for many laps after restart but could not find a way by
- Lost eighth to Verstappen after running wide trying to pass Vettel at turn eight, eventually finishing ninth
George Russell – 3
Qualified: 11th (-8 places behind team mate)
+1.321s slower than team mate in Q2
Finished: 14th (-5 places behind team mate)
- Lightly hit the barriers in opening practice, then close to repeating error in second practice
- First car eliminated in Q2 after complaining of braking problem, qualifying 11th
- Forced to start from pit lane after team took whole new power unit
- Started from the pit lane, gaining one place from Albon and passing Zhou and Latifi in opening laps
- Spent multiple laps behind Bottas, running off at turn seven after locking up attempting to pass
- First driver to gamble on slick tyres on lap 21, dropping to the rear and losing almost a minute to the field ahead
- Pitted for softs at second Safety Car, then passed Bottas at restart
- Clashed with Schumacher at turn one, fortunate not to be penalised but pitted again with a puncture
- Pitted one final time for soft tyres ten laps from the end, taking fastest lap but finishing last
Max Verstappen – 5
Qualified: 8th (-6 places behind team mate)
+1.961s slower than team mate in Q3
Finished: 7th (-6 places behind team mate)
- Logged only eight laps in second practice as team worked on settings changes
- Ahead of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at RaceFans…