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Another exciting race in the 2023 F1 season is in the books and it finally saw the dream of Red Bull achieving the perfect season come to a close.
But what else did we learn in Singapore? Let’s find out in the latest edition of F1 talking points.
The dream is over. There will be no perfect season for Red Bull.
And somehow, I find myself actually disappointed at that prospect.
In no way am I a Red Bull fan, but as I’ve mentioned plenty of times in this column, part of me just really wanted to see it happen.
Max Verstappen. (Photo by Gongora/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
But of course it really wasn’t going to happen was it? There was no way one team could possibly win every single race in a season, particularly when a season is filled with as many races as we have now in the modern era.
It did seem fitting that the streak was broken by Ferrari. Back in 1988, the closest we have ever gotten to a perfect season previously, the only race not won by that years dominant McLaren was the Italian Grand Prix by Ferrari. So it was a perfect chance for history to repeat itself in Singapore.
Once again perfection will have to wait.
In what turned out to be a hell of an entertaining race, Carlos Sainz proved not only his incredible skill on the track, but also his incredible intelligence on the track.
In the final laps it looked as though he would be caught and easily passed by the ever increasing Mercedes pair of George Russell and Lewis Hamilton on fresher tyres. As soon as they passed his teammate Charles Leclerc, it was only a matter of time.
But as soon as the two German cars reached the back of the McLaren of Lando Norris, smart Sainz kicked into gear. Slowing his pace to allow Norris DRS meant that he became harder to pass. And knowing that Norris didn’t have the pace to pass him, he was completely safe in the lead. Pure genius by the Spaniard.
And what made it even more incredible was this was his own doing, not a directive from his team.
Given how often we hear Sainz on the radio in a race bemoaning Ferrari strategy calls, perhaps this race was evidence that Ferrari should be allowing him to make choices much more than they clearly have in the past.
For their sake moving forward, it will help them greatly.
Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen. (Photo by Dan Istitene – Formula 1/Formula 1 via Getty Images)
Oh so close for Mercedes to claim the race win, and it certainly was a gamble for them to take a second stop to get onto some fresher rubber.
And although the win didn’t come, it certainly gave them a chance at it that probably wouldn’t have been there otherwise.
F1 is a sport filled with gambles, and sometimes throwing caution to the win is required to pull of a race win.
In a season that has been so clearly dominated by one team, a chance for a race victory is few and far between. Mercedes took this chance by the horns and it nearly paid off, albeit for an incredibly smart Spaniard and a bit of bad luck for George Russell.
Let’s hope some more smart moves will continue for the rest of the season in any other race that Red Bull find themselves vulnerable in.
Well it seems weird to have this section without much to talk about, but that in itself makes an interesting point.
Red Bull’s incredible win streak comes to an end at 15 races in a row, while Max Verstappen’s streak comes to an end with 10. No matter how you look at it, it’s an incredible achievement on both fronts.
However both the team and driver still have the opportunity to break the record for most wins in a season, with 7 rounds to go to easily claim both titles.
Verstappen only needs to win four of those races to break his own record he set last year, while Red Bull need to win six of those to break the record set by Mercedes in 2016.
So if you’re a fan of records, keep an eye out for those in the remaining races.
Carlos Sainz. (Photo by Hasan Bratic/picture alliance via Getty Images)
A superb drive from Kiwi rookie Liam Lawson to ninth place gave him his first ever points in F1 and also made him the first ever driver to score his debut points at the Singapore Grand Prix.
And while it’s definitely cause for celebration for both Lawson and AlphaTauri, it does create a bit of an issue for the team.
Lawson of course is subbing for Daniel Ricciardo, who himself was brought in as a replacement for the struggling Nyck de Vries. With Lawson doing such a stellar job, just what do they do about Ricciardo once he is fit to return from his broken hand?
Of course we know Ricciardo will be put back in the car as soon as he able to, but it does seem slightly unfair to Lawson who has been doing a great job in that car since he made his debut in it two rounds ago.
It also adds further speculation around who will get the full time seat in 2024. Will it be Ricciardo or Lawson who takes the second seat at the team? Perhaps both will get a gig over Yuki Tsunoda? Or will neither get it and someone else completely new come in?
A lot of speculation will still remain over those seats no matter what, as the silly season really amps up in the latter stages of 2023.
It’s time to once again bring you the F1 team power rankings and in a first, we can do this without a certain Austrian team having won the race.
But will that change their standing at the top of this list? Time will soon tell.
As always, the disclaimer. With any power rankings, these are subjective and based purely on opinion mixed with results.
Are these 100 per cent accurate? Inside my mind, yes! Outside of it, no. But it’s a nice way to spark some discussion, showcase some form and allow a conversation that brings F1 fans closer together – and maybe also further apart at the same time. Fun, right? Always!
You can also check out my driver power rankings too for a similar analysis.
Lewis Hamilton. (Photo by Hasan Bratic/picture alliance via Getty Images)
So, with all that out of the way, let’s get to it.
5. Alpine (+2)
A solid drive from Gasly helped them to a solid points haul, while Ocon was robbed of points too with a gearbox issue. Overall a great weekend for them.
4. McLaren (-)
A podium and a couple of extra points due to a stellar drive from Piastri from 17th on the grid. They just won’t go away will they? Which of course is great news for McLaren fans.
3. Mercedes (-)
Their massive gamble almost worked and it was another podium for the team. Ferrari are beginning to breath down their necks for second in the Championship, but their consistent form will help them if it can continue.
2. Ferrari (-)
Is there anything better than seeing Ferrari finally win again? Probably a lot of other things if you’re not a Ferrari fan like me, but it was great to see the drought broken, particularly from such an incredible drive by Carlos Sainz. Let’s hope there might be a few more to come in 2023.
1. Red Bull (-)
Let’s be honest, that was a rubbish weekend for a team who didn’t even remotely look close to losing a race this season. But as I’ve mentioned in this segment previously, they could not finish the next five races in a row and they’ve earned enough this season to remain on top of this list. It would take a brave person to bet against them come Japan this weekend.
An epic Singapore Grand Prix continues to get discussed as the latest edition of the driver power rankings is here.
That means disclaimer time. With any power rankings, these are subjective and based purely on opinion mixed with results.
Are these 100 per cent accurate? Inside my mind, yes! Outside of it, no. But it’s a nice way to spark some discussion, showcase some form and allow a conversation that brings F1 fans closer together – and maybe also further apart at the same time. Fun, right? Always!
(Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
To make it extra interesting on the drivers front, rather than rank all 20 drivers on the grid, I have made it more streamlined and easier by simply bringing the top 5 drivers.
As always this means that some drivers drop out, and a couple have jumped in after my last rankings. So with all that done, let’s get to it!
5. George Russell (+3)
It was so close to an incredible drive that could’ve seen him take his second ever win, but it wasn’t to be. Still, incredibly fast all weekend and looked on it, which bodes well for the remaining rounds.
4. Lando Norris (+5)
Bravo Lando. Second place once again and within a sniff of your first ever victory. Some smart strategy by the guy in front of you definitely helped you out, but you got the memo. And thoroughly deserves a boost in the rankings this week.
3. Charles Leclerc (+1)
While he didn’t quite match the pace of his teammate all weekend, it was still a very strong showing by Leclerc, who would’ve been on the podium had it not been for a ballsy move by Mercedes.
2. Carlos Sainz (+1)
An incredible performance by the ‘smooth operator’ to take his second ever F1 win. He has been so consistent all season, and this was a win that was very much due.
1. Max Verstappen (-)
Similar to what I wrote for Red Bull in the team rankings. Will take a lot to move him from number one. But that aside, drove a pretty great second half of the race to finish fifth, and so very nearly claim fourth. Considering how bad his car was handling all weekend, that was definitely a massive win for him.
What do you think of these rankings? Do you agree with the positions? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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