Round 16 F1 GFT AI Driver Rankings: Carlos Sainz wins Singapore GP for Ferrari, Red Bull win streak over
17 September 2023
By Bob Francis, Managing Editor
Go Full Throttle Racing News
MARINA BAY STREET CIRCUIT, SINGAPORE — Carlos Sainz wins with masterful tactics to help P2 Lando Norris to hold off the fast-charging Mercedes pair of Russell and Hamilton to take the Singapore Grand Prix victory.
QUALIFYING INDICATORS
Both Ferrari’s showed speed in qualifying with Sainz fastest and taking the pole and teammate Charles Leclerc P3 just 0.25 back. Mercedes was also strong in qualifying with George Russell P2 and Lewis Hamilton P5. Mclaren and Haas also making strong showings on as the story line of the Grand Prix continued to be the problems at Red Bull. Verstappen who has won 10 consecutive races was knocked out in Q2 and would start P11. Checho Perez also struggled in the other Red Bull, qualifying P13.
Qualifying Results:
Thrilling final laps at F1’s Night Race at Marina Bay
With Verstappen clearly fighting an ill handling race car and lacking the speed Red Bull has had on the larger F1 tracks earning them 12 straight wins, the battle was between Norris, Russell and Hamilton on who could catch Sainz — if anybody. As the laps wore down, Sainz was actually holding back just enough speed to keep Lando Norris and his Mclaren within DRS distance to help Norris stay ahead of Russell and Hamilton who were coming on strong. Russell was pushing hard to pass Norris and try for a final lap attack on Sainz when he touched the wall and crashed. Sainz won by a safe margin, Norris P2, and Hamilton P3. Verstappen never gave up and even with all the issues Red Bull experienced all weekend, finished 5th.
Singapore was the first F1 GP of the 2023 season where Red Bull did not win, but there was little change in the GFT F1 AI Driver Rankings:
7x Champion Lewis Hamilton moves up a spot to P3 in both F1 Driver Points and in our GFT F1 AI Driver Rankings with Aston Marton’s Fernando Alonso dropping to 4th. Rookie Liam Lawson, who qualified P10, finished in 9th place scoring 2 Championship points and moved up over fellow rookie Logan Sargent who had another rough outing, finishing 14th.
Winners Quote
“An incredible feeling, an incredible weekend,” said Sainz. “I want to thank everyone in Ferrari for making this huge effort to turn around and manage to win this season after a tricky beginning. But now we nailed the weekend, we nailed the race… Everything that we had to do, we did perfect, and we brought home a P1 that I’m sure all Italy, all Ferrari, is going to be proud and happy today.”
Up next:
The famed Suzuka circuit for the Japanese Grand Prix, taking place September 22–24.
