2023 Formula 1 Preview & Review.

[Fortitude]

Verstappen FURIOUS as rookie dumps world champion out of Singapore GP qualifying.
The rest of the grid must be partying in the paddock seeing Red Bull finally struggle after the most dominant season perhaps ever in F1.
Saturday 16 September 2023 16:15
Joe Ellis
GPFans

Max Verstappen was furious after he and his Red Bull team-mate Sergio Perez were knocked out of Q2 at the Singapore Grand Prix. The championship leader had a big slide on his final qualifying lap and he could not make up the time in the ultra-tight session.

He hung on in 10th until AlphaTauri driver and Red Bull junior Liam Lawson stunned the paddock to reach Q3 for the first time in his career. Verstappen could yet start further back than 11th with two FIA investigations hanging over his head for impeding.

‘Verstappen FURIOUS’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...g-out-furious/


Qualifying Results – 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
16th September 2023
by Emer Hedderman
FormulaSpy

Results (Classification):

Q3
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari -1:30.984
2. George Russell Mercedes +0.072
3. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +0.079
4. Lando Norris McLaren +0.286
5. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +0.501
6. Kevin Magnussen Haas +0.591
7. Fernando Alonso Aston Martin +0.631
8. Esteban Ocon Alpine +0.689
9. Nico Hulkenberg Haas +0.824
10. Liam Lawson AlphaTauri +1.284

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the complete results from qualifying for tomorrow’s 2023 F1 World Championship race around Marina Bay’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/qualifying...and-prix-83165


LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix
16 September 2023
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.
Formula One - Official Site

‘As it Happened’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...GmYFIF0uJ.html


F1 Live - Singapore GP Qualifying Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
16 September 2023
Racing Statistics

‘Qualifying Watchalong’;

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVX7yDMy3Q0


Lance Stroll in terrifying crash at Singapore GP as Aston Martin car smashed to bits
Lance Stroll was caught in a huge collision during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday.
14:25, Sat, Sep 16, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Lance Stroll was caught in a huge crash during qualifying ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix as his Aston Martin collided with the wall on the exit of the final corner. The young Canadian was battling to escape the elimination zone but was clearly struggling with the balance of his car, correcting a snap coming out of the final corner which put him on a collision course with the barriers.

Stroll was already fighting oversteer heading into the final string of corners when the car bottomed out coming off the kerb. The 24-year-old lost control of his car and collided with the barriers with a huge impact, ending the session early.

With such a huge impact, the immediate thoughts turned to Stroll's safety. When checked on by his race engineer the Canadian driver confirmed that he had escaped the incident without injury.

‘Aston Martin car smashed to bits’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ore-Grand-Prix


Max Verstappen storms off after Singapore GP qualifying embarrassment as F1 penalty looms
Verstappen has struggled with the balance of his Red Bull car throughout the Singapore GP weekend and paid for in in qualifying when he failed to even make it into the top 10
15:14, 16 Sep 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer

Max Verstappen failed to qualify in the top 10 for the Singapore Grand Prix – and his day could be about to get worse with a potential grid penalty on the way. Verstappen was furious as he shouted over the radio after it was confirmed he was out. "I don't know if you saw that, but that was f***ing shocking. Absolutely shocking experience," he cursed.

After pulling up in the pit lane, he immediately got out of his Red Bull and stormed off. Clearly, the Dutchman needed to calm down before speaking to anyone about what had happened. Ironically, the man who condemned him to a start outside the top 10 was a driver for sister team AlphaTauri.

It was Liam Lawson, in just his third ever F1 race weekend, who made it through to Q3 for the first time at Verstappen's expense. It came after Verstappen had already turned the air blue with an X-rated rant over the radio about the traffic he faced at the end of Q1. "There are so many f***ing cars," he had shouted.

‘Max Verstappen storms off’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...apore-30957204


Ferrari and Mercedes share FRONT ROW for Singapore Grand Prix after Verstappen's qualifying NIGHTMARE
Saturday 16 September 2023 16:34
Matthew Hobkinson
GPFans

Carlos Sainz claimed pole during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, after both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez failed to make the top 10 in a chaotic hour of racing at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Sainz topped the timesheets with a lap-time of 1:30.984s, to start from P1 on the grid on Sunday ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc in second and third respectively.

Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton rounded off the top five in fourth and fifth, with Kevin Magnussen putting in a superb performance in his Haas to secure sixth.

‘Ferrari and Mercedes share FRONT ROW’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...perez-ferrari/


Sainz snatches Singapore GP pole amid Red Bull meltdown
16th Sept. 2023, 15:38
By Valentin Khorounzhiy
The Race

Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, as the dominant Formula 1 champion-elect Max Verstappen and his Red Bull team floundered badly.

Verstappen faces two separate investigations for alleged impeding – one for stopping for several seconds at pitlane exit during Q1 and another for seemingly getting in the way of AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in Q2.

But any penalties for either or both of those incidents are unlikely to make his Saturday that much worse given he was eliminated in Q2 on merit – having struggled with a suddenly-unruly RB19 all weekend – by Tsunoda’s stand-in team-mate Liam Lawson.

‘Sainz snatches Singapore GP pole’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/sainz...bull-meltdown/

[Fortitude]

Ferrari face mighty challenge to hold off Mercedes in fascinating Singapore GP.
What a 2023 Singapore Grand Prix we have in store. We said pre-event that Red Bull would be susceptible at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, but nobody thought both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez would fail to reach Q3.
September 17, 2023
By John Smith
Total Motorsport

Carlos Sainz will start from pole position ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc on Sunday, all of whom are targeting to be the first non-Red Bull race winner in 2023. The heat and multiple traction zones mean Singapore is one of the higher degradation tracks on the Formula 1 calendar, so tyres will be vital and so will strategy.

Straight away, Mercedes and Ferrari are set to differ here. Russell and Lewis Hamilton have two new medium tyres in their bank, whereas everyone else only has one set of mediums. If tyre degradation is a major problem, the Mercedes pair can go medium-medium-hard and avoid the softs. If it’s a two-stop race, everyone else will be forced to use the softs since they have just one set each of the mediums and hards.

‘Ferrari face mighty challenge’;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...-singapore-gp/


Winners and losers from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix qualifying
16 Sep 2023 6:20 PM
Oliver Harden
PlanetF1.com

Winners
Carlos Sainz/Ferrari: Having followed up pole for Ferrari at Monza with another here – in the same car as Singapore specialist Charles Leclerc – these are the greatest days of Carlos Sainz’s Formula 1 career.
George Russell: The last non-Red Bull driver to win a grand prix? George Russell. Starting from second and with Mercedes invariably stronger in race conditions, is there a chance that he could repeat his Brazil 2022 heroics on Sunday?

Haas: Haas admitted after Alex Albon’s points finish at Monza that any hope of catching Williams for seventh place in the Constructors’ standings had gone.
Liam Lawson: Sport has a habit of delivering great stories and the one featuring Liam Lawson – the Red Bull junior in just his third appearance knocking Red Bull’s reigning double World Champion out of qualifying – was simply irresistible.

Losers
Max Verstappen/Red Bull: With Verstappen and Red Bull now staring down the barrel of the team’s first defeat in 10 whole months, how to explain their wretched performance this weekend?
Sergio Perez: Much of the focus of Red Bull’s failures will inevitably fall on Verstappen, but Sergio Perez does not escape here unscathed either.
Lance Stroll: Motor racing cannot simply be a rich kid’s hobby. It is a fundamentally dangerous sport with the capacity to bite. Hard.

‘Winners and losers’;

https://www.planetf1.com/features/wi...ix-qualifying/


Verstappen rules out Singapore GP win after qualifying nightmare
Sunday 17th September, 2023 - 12:43pm
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Max Verstappen expects his winning streak to end after enduring a horror qualifying session for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. “You can forget about that,” he told the media in Singapore when asked about his chances of victory on Sunday.

“I want to win, but when it’s not possible you have to accept that. I don’t want to make it sound too dramatic, but it was of course a very tough weekend and today in qualifying it’s definitely been for a long, long time that in qualifying it has been like this.”

“Clearly we just don’t understand that issue,” he added. “You don’t make these kind of changes and it’s worse, so we are clearly not understanding the car this weekend around this track.”

‘Qualifying nightmare’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/17...ing-nightmare/


Perez blames engine problem for Q2 elimination at Singapore Grand Prix
16th September 2023, 18:13
Written by Ed Hardy and Claire Cottingham
RaceFans

Sergio Perez says an engine problem caused his early elimination from qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver qualified 13th as he and team mate Max Verstappen both failed to make the cut for Q3 in a shock off-day for the world champions.

“I’m really disappointed because we haven’t been able to make any progress. The fact that I had an issue with the engine on my final attempt for Q3 meant that I couldn’t make it into Q3, unfortunately.” He described the balance problems he suffered throughout the weekend so far. “Every corner is quite different, we were playing around with the tools quite a lot.”

‘Engine problem caused his early elimination from qualifying’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/09/16/...re-grand-prix/


Leclerc SLAMS fellow drivers after Singapore GP 'JUNGLE'
Sunday 17 September 2023 07:57
Sam Cook
GPFans

Charles Leclerc has criticised his fellow Formula 1 drivers for making the final sector a 'jungle' during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix. “I struggle with the last sector, but it's nothing new," he told Danika Patrick after qualifying.

"I've been struggling with this car for the whole season. I always need to be quite aggressive, and sometimes I push too much. At the same time, we need to see the bigger picture, and we're in a better position than we were, for example, in Zandvoort.”

”It's like the jungle on the third sector now. We always had this 'gentleman agreement' between drivers where you shouldn't overtake in the last sector. Unfortunately, a few drivers didn't follow that rule this season, and then it was chaos at some point because no one is following that 'agreement' anymore.”

‘Leclerc SLAMS fellow drivers’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...ifying-jungle/


Lando Norris identifies helping hand required in quest for Singapore podium
16 Sep 2023 6:00 PM
Sam Cooper
PlanetF1.com

McLaren’s Lando Norris has plotted the unlikely route needed for him to end on the podium in the Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren man has a solution though – chaos.

“First lap, a sea of safety cars, pitstops,” he joked when asked how he could finish on the podium. “In terms of racing and overtaking it’s pretty impossible. It’s tough to say but there’s a lot of unknowns with degradation, I don’t think anyone’s really done more than 10, 12, 15 laps in a row. So a lot of things for us to find out.”

‘Chaos’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lando-...gapore-podium/


Stroll cleared to start Singapore GP after heavy crash
Sunday 17th September, 2023 - 4:13am
By Mat Coch
Speedcafe

Lance Stroll has been cleared to start the Singapore Grand Prix after escaping injury in a hefty crash at the end of Qualifying 1 in Marina Bay. The Aston Martin driver crashed in the final corner, careering nose-first into the Tecpro barriers on the outside of the circuit.

Stroll will officially line up 20th for Sunday night’s race (though it’s more likely he’ll start from the pit lane) after being cleared to take part. “He got out of the car unaided and was taken to the medical centre for a precautionary assessment,” the team confirmed following the crash. Lance was cleared by the on-site medical team and returned to the team at track.”

First on the scene, Lando Norris believes Stroll was caught out by the car bottoming out as the Aston Martin rode the exit kerb. “He was still spinning and kind of coming back onto the track quite a bit,” the McLaren driver explained. “I hit the brakes quite quickly because I didn’t know if he was going to come across the road or what.”

‘Stroll cleared to start’;

https://www.speedcafe.com/2023/09/17...r-heavy-crash/


FOR THE RACE;

F1 Live - Singapore GP Race Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
Scheduled for Sep 17, 2023
Racing Statistics

F1 Live Singapore Grand Prix Race Watchalong | Marina Bay Street Circuit F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uJPkIlZzU

[Fortitude]

Sainz wins thrilling Singapore F1 Grand Prix from Norris and Hamilton.
McLaren’s Norris finished in a brilliant second place with Hamilton third – teammate Russell looked like taking the third place spot but crashed on the last lap.
Sunday 17 September 2023 3:03 pm
Matt Hardy
City AM

The result brings an end to a season of dominance by Red Bull and Max Verstappen, who finished fifth. It is Sainz’s second win after the 2022 British Grand Prix. Sainz’ teammate Charles Leclerc finished fourth, Pierre Gasly was sixth and Oscar Piastri was seventh.

Sergio Perez, Liam Lawson and Kevin Magnussen completed the top 10. “An incredible feeling and an incredible weekend. All of Italy and all of Ferrari will be proud today,” Sainz said.

“It was all about managing [tyres] and making it to the target laps. We gave Lando some DRS [to help]. Carlos was very generous helping me get DRS,” Norris said.

‘Sainz wins thrilling Singapore F1 Grand Prix’;

https://www.cityam.com/sainz-wins-th...-and-hamilton/


Race Results – 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
17th September 2023
by Emer Hedderman

Results (Classification):
1. Carlos Sainz Scuderia Ferrari – 62 laps
2. Lando Norris McLaren +0.812
3. Lewis Hamilton Mercedes +1.269
4. Charles Leclerc Scuderia Ferrari +21.177
5. Max Verstappen Red Bull Racing +21.441
6. Pierre Gasly Alpine +38.441
7. Oscar Piastri McLaren +41.479
8. Sergio Perez Red Bull Racing +54.534
9. Liam Lawson AlphaTauri +65.918
10. Kevin Magnussen Haas +72.116

‘Singapore Grand Prix – Here are the provisional results from today’s 2023 F1 World Championship race around the Marina Bay Street Circuit’;

https://formulaspy.com/f1/race-resul...and-prix-83174


AS IT HAPPENED: Follow all the action from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
17 September 2023
Formula One - Official Site
Becky Hart.
Special Contributor.

‘AS IT HAPPENED’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...zSzSRHyCR.html


F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2023 - LIVE UPDATES!
17th September 2023, 12:17
Reporting By: Harvey Orgill
Crash.Net

It's race day at the Singapore Grand Prix! Follow all of the action here with the Crash.net live blog.

‘LIVE UPDATES’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/live/f1-sin...3-live-updates


F1 Live - Singapore GP Race Watchalong | Live timings + Commentary
17th September 2023
Racing Statistics

F1 Live Singapore Grand Prix Race Watchalong | Marina Bay Street Circuit F1 Live Timings, Updates and Commentary of all F1 Sessions with Racing Statistics. Lets Watchalong!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0uJPkIlZzU


George Russell chokes back tears in emotional first words after Singapore Grand Prix crash
George Russell was close to tears in the media pen after crashing out in the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix.
15:43, Sun, Sep 17, 2023
By Stuart Ballard

George Russell was visibly emotional in his first interview after crashing out on the final lap of the Singapore Grand Prix as he pushed for a win in what ended up being a pulsating race. Mercedes looked as though they had got the strategy spot on after taking advantage of Esteban Ocon's retirement to put fresh medium tyres on both their cars.

Russell was leading the charge ahead of Lewis Hamilton with the pair quickly getting past Charles Leclerc to close down Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. Sainz ended up using Norris to help both drivers keep Russell and Hamilton at bay heading into the final laps.

Russell screamed on the radio in despair at crashing out and emotions were clearly still high as he went into the media pen. The Brit had tears in his eyes as he apologised to his Mercedes team for not finishing the race and picking up valuable points.

‘Emotional first words - Russell screamed on the radio’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...d-Prix-F1-news

[Fortitude]

David Croft mocked Toto Wolff as George Russell eyed victory.
Whilst Russell and Hamilton were charging after the podium places, Croft joked: “I haven’t seen Wolff smile much recently but if they win this I bet he will read the race report on Wikipedia afterwards.”
17 September 2023
by Nick Golding
Formula1News

Lewis Hamilton scored a podium for Mercedes at the 2023 Singapore GP, while George Russell crashed out on the last lap. Sky Sports F1 commentator David Croft made a comical Wikipedia-themed joked aimed at Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff during the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday.

Mercedes opted to pit both drivers again, to give them fresh tyres to fight through to the front. The plan ultimately didn’t work, although Wolff’s face on Lap 52 suggested that the Austrian was expecting a Mercedes victory to occur. Had Russell not crashed, then he would’ve claimed third ahead of Hamilton in fourth.

‘Wikipedia-themed joked’;

https://formula1news.co.uk/david-cro...-eyed-victory/


The emotional toll Russell’s ‘pathetic’ mistake clearly took
17th Sept. 2023, 18:14
By Scott Mitchell-Malm
The Race

An emotionally pained George Russell wanted to “curl up in a ball and be with nobody” after his “pathetic” mistake on the final lap of Formula 1’s Singapore Grand Prix. It was close to an hour after the crash by the time Russell completed his media duties, yet he still looked disconsolate after he finished his round in the TV pen and made his way over to the small group of written media, including The Race, that had waited for him.

And though the peak of the emotion, which included Russell being close to tears at one point, had faded slightly he still often had to pause at length, take time to find his words, and generally looked and sounded a mix of fed up and mentally and physically exhausted. “In those moments you just want to curl up in a ball and be with nobody,” Russell said. “It’s the most horrendous feeling in the world, when you’re so physically drained, mentally drained, missed out on an opportunity of victory, and then to make such a mistake. It is truly heartbreaking.”

That wasn’t the extent of Russell’s misery or self-flagellation. He said he was not just going to brush it off, and that he would feel “very different” if he had spun or locked up and hit the wall. “But to clip the wall on the last lap is just… it’s such a pathetic mistake,” Russell said. “It’s why it sort of feels so strange right now. It goes to show you just need to stay on it, doesn’t matter what the scenario is.”

‘The emotional toll’;

https://the-race.com/formula-1/the-e...-clearly-took/


Mercedes Data Predicted First and Second Place Finish in Singapore GP
September 17, 2023
BaylaSportsF1

Toto Wolff shared that Mercedes utilized data to anticipate their drivers finishing in the first and second positions during the Singapore Grand Prix after executing their second pit stop under the Virtual Safety Car.

“Super that Lewis is on the podium. He had a brilliant race and had pace at the end. Just a shame for George because he worked hard for that,” said the Mercedes team principal. “It could have been a good third and fourth, lots of points, but now we lost 22 [points] against Ferrari.”

“It was so difficult to win the race if we were just static,” he added. “So we said let’s go for it and we just went for it and in the end it’s a podium for Lewis and that’s great. I don’t think we would have been able to win [by staying out] that’s why we took the risk. We knew worst case it was third and fifth, best case the win. When we came out with several laps, it [the data] showed first and second.”

‘Mercedes Data Predicted First and Second’;

https://baylasportsf1.com/mercedes-d...-singapore-gp/


Hamilton thought Mercedes could get 1-2 after late pit stop
17th Sept. 2023, 18:37
by Sam Tomlinson
Motorsport Week

Hamilton, who concedes his tough qualifying hindered his race prospects, asserts he was alert to the possibility of Mercedes seizing a remarkable 1-2 in the closing stages.

“It was okay. I think ultimately just not that great a weekend, but the team did a fantastic job with the strategy, the guys did a great job in the pit stop, just faultless on that side,” Hamilton said.

‘Possibility of Mercedes seizing a remarkable 1-2’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...late-pit-stop/


Wolff believes Russell deserved podium after last lap shunt
17 September 5:24PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff believes George Russell deserved a podium, after crashing out of the Singapore Grand Prix on the final lap.

When asked about the closing stages, Wolff told Sky Sports: "Yeah super that Lewis was on the podium, also at the end he had pace. It's just a shame for George because he worked hard for that.”

Wolff believed this was the best option to maximise Mercedes' points, after Russell asked how he could win the race over team radio. "It was clear it was difficult to win the race if we were just static. I said: 'Let's go for it, the data is robust' and we went for it, but in the end, it was a podium for Lewis," said Wolff.

“Shame for George because he worked hard for that”;

https://racingnews365.com/wolff-beli...last-lap-shunt

[Fortitude]

Jubilant Ferrari poke fun at rivals with 'GOOD JOB' message.
Unsurprisingly, Ferrari were quick to congratulate Norris for his efforts. Taking to Twitter, formerly X, after the race, they posted: "Good job Lando ."
Sunday 17 September 2023 23:42
Dan Davis
GPFans

Ferrari have toasted Lando Norris' heroics at the Singapore Grand Prix with a cheeky social media message, after Carlos Sainz clinched a dramatic victory. In a nail-biting grandstand finish, Sainz pipped Norris and Lewis Hamilton to the chequered flag, albeit after his comfortable cushion at the front had vanished.

Much of the race resembled a procession, though a late safety car opened the door for a challenge from the Mercedes duo of Hamilton and George Russell. Both drivers, strapped up with fresh tyres, mounted a rapid charge on the podium spots and closed the gap on the leader Sainz and Norris in second.

However, despite Charles Leclerc's failure to defend, Norris delivered a steely resistance, preventing Russell and Hamilton from nipping in front. Ultimately, Russell's race was brought to a smoky end after he crashed out on the final lap, ensuring Sainz and Norris occupied the top two spots.

'GOOD JOB';

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...-lando-norris/


Sainz would have been ‘dead meat’ without slowing tactics
19:38 Sun, 17 Sep 2023.
by Taylor Powling
Motorsport Week

Carlos Sainz reckons he would have been “dead meat” against the Mercedes drivers without slowing down for Lando Norris in the closing stages of the Singapore Grand Prix. “We have to be extremely proud of the weekend that we put together,” he said. “We’ve had one opportunity this year to win the race, which was here in Singapore, and we nailed it.”

“We didn’t put a foot wrong all weekend. There were a lot of moments out that we were a bit under pressure. We kept it calm, we kept our plan, our strategy. We had to play with tyre degradation, with pit stop gaps, with DRS. Playing with all that and managing to keep everything under control, we managed to bring home a win that was never easy, but that definitely feels incredible.” When asked how nervous he was about the Mercedes threat, Sainz responded: “At the beginning, not so nervous, because I felt like I had a lot of pace in hand to push the last 12-15 laps.”

“Then it surprised me quite a lot how quickly the Mercedes managed to pass Charles and close the gap on Lando and me. And at that point, I thought, it’s not going to be easy, and these last five, six laps are going to be a fight, and at that point, I had to change a bit the strategy. I had to give Lando a bit of a cheeky DRS boost, and that helped us to keep them behind and win the race and get the win for Ferrari that feels great.”

‘Dead meat without slowing tactics’;

https://www.motorsportweek.com/2023/...owing-tactics/


The move that 'saved' Sainz's Singapore victory
18 September 8:45AM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

It was a close final few laps for Carlos Sainz as he defended from Lando Norris and the two Mercedes drivers. Carlos Sainz has described the moment that "saved" his Singapore Grand Prix victory, while under pressure from both Mercedes drivers in the final laps.

Sainz reduced his pace to give Norris the DRS and attempt to create a 'train' effect, which makes it difficult for faster cars to overtake. It worked but Sainz pointed out it was not without risk when speaking to media including RacingNews365: "It's always tricky. Because you always put yourself under extra pressure, no?," he said.

"Because then you know that then you cannot have a lock-up. You cannot have a single mistake or a snap because it means that Lando’s going to have a chance to overtake you if he's on DRS. At that point you decide to give him the DRS, hoping that that's going to be enough to keep the Mercs behind."

'Saved Sainz's Singapore victory’;

https://racingnews365.com/sainz-desc...gapore-victory


Lando Norris reveals why he didn’t try and pass Carlos Sainz for Singapore GP win
Lando Norris finished second to Ferrari's Carlos Sainz at the 2023 Singapore GP
September 17, 2023
By Ed Spencer
Total Motorsport

Lando Norris has praised Carlos Sainz’s late-race tactics after securing second place in Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix. Following Esteban Ocon’s retirement courtesy of a gearbox failure on Lap 43, Mercedes pitted George Russell and Lewis Hamilton for fresh tyres, allowing them to reel in Sainz and Norris, who stayed out.

The former McLaren teammates worked together to hold both charging Mercedes at bay by using the DRS to their advantage, with Norris holding onto second, securing his podium since Hungary. “It was protecting P2,” said Norris when the media asked where his focus was in the final laps. “George struggled to overtake me when he had a five or six-tenths advantage.”

“So the chances of me getting Carlos with maybe one-tenth advantage, there [was] no chance, so I think Carlos played it smart. There was no need for me to try and attack him. The more I attacked him, the more vulnerable I would have been from both the guys behind, and I wouldn’t be sitting here if I played it differently, so [it was a] stressful last few laps.”

“I wouldn’t be sitting here if I played it differently”;

https://www.total-motorsport.com/f1-...gapore-gp-win/


Singapore GP driver ratings: Was Carlos Sainz's performance the best from a Ferrari driver in over a decade?
17 Sep 2023
Connor McDonagh

Crash.net F1 journalist runs through his driver ratings for the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
Carlos Sainz - 10
After an impressive weekend at Monza, Sainz went one better to deliver the best performance of his entire F1 career.

Not only did he have the pace, his intellect and race IQ was outstanding to keep Norris behind in DRS range which ultimately allowed them both to fend off the two Ferraris.

An incredible performance from the Spaniard in Singapore - arguably the best from a Ferrari driver since Alonso in Valencia (2012).

‘Best from a Ferrari driver in over a decade’;

https://www.crash.net/f1/feature/103...er-over-decade


Why Carlos Sainz’s win elevates him into F1’s ‘elite’ circle
18 Sep 2023 8:15 AM
Thomas Maher
PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz’s win on the streets of Singapore was easily the most impressive drive of the Spaniard’s career, showing a measured and controlled mettle on his way to the chequered flag. There’s a particularly famous quote from Alain Prost that typified his measured approach to racing in F1, namely “I always say that my ideal is to get pole with the minimum effort, and to win the race at the slowest speed possible.”

It was an approach that served Prost well. Not that the French driver was slow, by any means, but his composure and calculated approach to racing was in stark contrast to the gung-ho heroics and theatrics that made rival and teammate Ayrton Senna the crowd-pleaser.

Carlos Sainz channeled his inner Alain Prost during the Singapore Grand Prix, coming home with the win after proving unflappable under extreme pressure for most of the race. Having kept Charles Leclerc at bay in Monza two weeks ago, Sainz picked up where he’d left off by controlling the pace of Leclerc throughout the opening stint at Marina Bay.

‘Channeled his inner Alain Prost’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/why-ca...-elite-circle/


Ferrari starting to purr as Red Bull quilt shows signs of fraying
Carlos Sainz's victory on Singapore ended a run of 15 successive wins for Red Bull, with second driver Sergio Perez hinting he may seek new pastures at the end of his deal
Sep 18, 2023
Byron Young
The National

Most things about Formula One are epic in scale. Certainly the enormous budgets, the eye-watering speeds, the endless globetrotting and, as the world discovered in Singapore, even the failures. The wheels came off Max Verstappen’s record-breaking run every bit as impressively as his recent run of success.

Singapore was more proof that Ferrari are starting to purr under new boss Frederic Vasseur. Charles Leclerc’s pit stop error aside they delivered in one of the toughest races of the year. Race winner Carlos Sainz used the inspired tactic of helping former teammate Lando Norris behind him race faster so he could delay the impending attack by the quicker Mercedes duo.

This was undoubtedly the best F1 race of the year so far but can the pattern continue? “This was an anomaly, Red Bull will be back in Japan,” said McLaren boss Zak Brown. Even in our good years we sometimes had problems in Singapore,” said Mercedes boss Toto Wolff. “We never knew why and I bet they don’t.”

‘Ferrari are starting to purr’;

https://www.thenationalnews.com/spor...ns-of-fraying/

[Fortitude]

Lawson delivers season-best result to AlphaTauri in Singapore.
Liam Lawson became on Sunday in Singapore only the sixth Kiwi to score championship points in F1, the talented rookie also delivering at Marina Bay its best result of the year to AlphaTauri with P9.
18/09/2023 at 09:21
Phillip van Osten
F1i.com

In only his third Grand Prix, Lawson made the top-ten shootout on Saturday, outpacing teammate Yuki Tsunoda to start his race from 10th on the grid. Looking back on his evening, as impressive as his performance appeared to be from the outside, Lawson singled out his start as an area where he needs to improve.

"For me, the start I need to get on top of because it’s now two weekends in a row that I’ve watched the start, basically, and lost a couple of positions," he admitted. "It’s just making our life more difficult, so that’s really the biggest loss of the race, and that’s on my part.”

‘Only the sixth Kiwi to score championship points in F1’;

https://f1i.com/news/487250-lawson-d...singapore.html


AlphaTauri update on Liam Lawson’s future after Singapore points
18 Sep 2023 11:00 AM
Michelle Foster
PlanetF1.com

Liam Lawson’s audition for a 2024 AlphaTauri race seat will continue at Suzuka with the team’s CEO Peter Bayer telling ServusTV he will stand in for Daniel Ricciardo. Impressing on debut when he beat Yuki Tsunoda, this past weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix has firmly cemented Lawson as a candidate for a 2024 race seat.

And according to Bayer, he’ll have another chance to stake his claim on a 2024 seat with the CEO reportedly telling ServusTV he will race at this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix. The Austrian went on to say how impressed he’s been with the 21-year-old. “We are very happy with the performance. Two points and the best result of the season in his third race ever,” he said. “We’re happy with Liam’s performance, he fought like a lion.”

Red Bull team boss Christian Horner also took note, telling the media in Singapore: “I think he’s done a great job. Obviously, he’s a Red Bull Racing driver on loan to AlphaTauri, as all the drivers are there. I think he’s done an impressive job considering the circumstances, he’s been dropped in the car and, at a track that’s very challenging, I think he’s done a great job.”

“He fought like a lion”;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/alphat...lawson-future/


Red Bull faces AlphaTauri F1 driver dilemma as CRUNCH decision looms
Monday 18 September 2023 20:13
Jim Kimberley
GPFans

Liam Lawson is an F1 point-scoring driver following the New Zealander's Marina Bay heroics to cross the line in P9. Furthermore, he created headlines on Saturday after his Q2 effort kicked Max Verstappen out of the top 10, creating an unpredictable grid that battled for the race win. Showing such potential only three rounds into his F1 career means that Lawson has cannonballed, rather than thrown, his hat into the ring for a 2024 seat.

The coming weeks will be critical for Lawson, who looks set to get his fourth grand prix start at Suzuka, as he could claim another impressive finish in the Japanese GP and become the 2023 Super Formula champion.

‘CRUNCH decision looms’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...m-lawson-2024/


Daniel Ricciardo in danger as AlphaTauri decide on Liam Lawson plan after Singapore GP
Lawson continued to shine as a stand-in for the injured Ricciardo, recording AlphaTauri's best result of the 2023 season so far in the demanding Singapore night race
16:03, 18 Sep 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

AlphaTauri plan to decide their 2024 driver line-up "in the next few days". Chief executive Peter Bayer gave that timeline when speaking to German-language TV after the Singapore Grand Prix. He was reflecting on an excellent performance from Liam Lawson in just his third Formula 1 race.

The New Zealander has been standing in for Daniel Ricciardo since he broke his hand at Zandvoort last month. The Aussie underwent surgery shortly after and has been on the sidelines as he recovers. Lawson's result in Singapore has further strengthened calls for AlphaTauri to give him a race seat for 2024.

That would mean either Ricciardo or Tsunoda would loss their places on the grid in a potentially fatal blow to their F1 ambitions. Ricciardo will return to his seat when he recovers, but that won't be until at least Qatar next month with Lawson reprising his stand-in role again in Japan this weekend. But AlphaTauri might have already made a decision about his F1 future by then

‘Daniel Ricciardo in danger’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...unoda-30970212


Alpha Tauri driver talks in full swing
"Discussions" about Alpha Tauri's full-time driver lineup for 2024 are currently "in full swing".
18th Sept. 2023, 10:21
GrandPrix.com

That's what the Red Bull-owned team's new CEO Peter Bayer said in Singapore, as rookie Liam Lawson continues to impress in the injured Daniel Ricciardo's car. The latest rumblings suggest that New Zealander Lawson, 21, has been so impressive since stepping into Ricciardo's cockpit at Zandvoort that Yuki Tsunoda is likely to be shuffled into the Red Bull reserve role next year.

When asked if he has done enough to be told he will be staying put for 2024, Lawson said on Sunday: There's nothing at this stage. Still, he has clearly impressed the decision-makers at Red Bull and Alpha Tauri.

I was thinking 'his car is twice as wide as the others', Bayer enthused after Lawson fended off challenges from behind. Liam never lost his cool. He looked like a seasoned professional. He fought like a lion.

‘Most insiders agree that Ricciardo-Lawson is looking like the likely Alpha Tauri lineup for 2024’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/alpha...ull-swing.html


Ricciardo will not be at Suzuka
Liam Lawson will definitely keep filling in for the injured Daniel Ricciardo at Suzuka this weekend.
SEPTEMBER 18, 2023
GrandPrix.com

According to insiders, both Japanese Yuki Tsunoda and Ricciardo should be worried about the new 'Lawson factor' when thinking about their 2024 seats.

Ricciardo is watching someone score points in his car in their third race, former F1 driver Robert Doornbos told Ziggo Sport. That's bound to eat at you. I think it's obvious that Lawson will be offered a permanent seat next year.

As for this weekend's Japanese GP, meanwhile, CEO Bayer has some very good news for Lawson. Daniel is flying on to Australia now for his physiotherapy and will support us morally, but he will not be there (at Suzuka) live, he told Servus TV.

‘That's bound to eat at you’;

https://www.grandprix.com/news/ricci...at-suzuka.html

[Fortitude]

5 Winners and 5 Losers from Singapore – Who impressed under the lights at Marina Bay?
After a steady start, the Singapore Grand Prix roared into life with four cars fighting for the win in the closing stages to set up a grandstand finish.
18 September 2023
Lawrence Barretto
F1 Correspondent & Presenter
Formula One - Official Site

Winner: Carlos Sainz - This was Carlos Sainz’s most complete weekend in Formula 1, the Spaniard having the edge on team mate Charles Leclerc throughout practice before delivering a scintillating lap to take back-to-back pole positions for the first time in his career.
Losers: Red Bull - The perfect season is over for Red Bull as they tasted defeat for the first time all year. Neither Red Bull driver reached Q3 for the first time since the 2018 Russian Grand Prix as the RB19...

Winners: Ferrari - Ferrari have had plenty of critics in recent times as they’ve struggled for performance, both with strategy and operationally – but in Singapore, when their best chance of a win in 2023 presented itself, they didn’t make a single mistake.
Loser: George Russell - George Russell was heartbroken after he crashed on the final lap when fighting to snatch second from Lando Norris, the Briton arguably the fastest driver in the field on Sunday.

Winners: McLaren - McLaren’s relentless development rate shows no signs of abating as the British squad brought an upgrade package to the track one race early...
Losers: Aston Martin - This was a weekend to forget for Aston Martin, who only started the Grand Prix with one car after Lance Stroll withdrew following a heavy crash in qualifying.

‘Winners: Liam Lawson, Kevin Magnussen. Losers: Yuki Tsunoda, Esteban Ocon’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...ZxfU6RZGr.html


Ferrari dealt Carlos Sainz conundrum after Singapore Grand Prix masterclass
Carlos Sainz was unstoppable in Singapore, but his performance has given Ferrari plenty to consider.
15:35, Mon, Sep 18, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Carlos Sainz produced one of the most impressive drives of the season so far in Singapore on Sunday as he saw off the threat of Lando Norris and the two Mercedes drivers to become the first non-Red Bull Grand Prix winner of 2023. Once the celebrations in the Ferrari camp calm down, team principal Fred Vasseur will have plenty to consider...

The Scuderia have historically favoured a clear 1-2 structure and with Leclerc’s star power and race-winning pedigree, the Monegasque driver is seen as the team’s number one. However, Sainz’s performances are beginning to challenge that narrative. Vasseur now faces the prospect of upsetting his in-form driver if he opts to destabilise the power dynamic between the two Ferrari drivers at the next round of contract negotiations...

Sainz has made public his desire to stay with Ferrari long-term, but as of now, there is no new contract on the table. Leclerc is believed to be on the verge of signing a bumper, long-term deal, but with Sainz in demand and ahead of his team-mate in the standings, it is becoming harder and harder not to warrant a longer extension for both drivers.

‘Carlos Sainz conundrum’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ore-Grand-Prix


On Track GP Podcast: ‘Carlos Sainz is having a better season than Charles Leclerc’
18 Sep 2023 6:00 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Carlos Sainz took top honours for Ferrari in the first non-Red Bull victory of 2023 so far, while a charging George Russell missed out on a podium after a devastating last-lap crash in his Mercedes.

While Red Bull suffered an uncharacteristic off-weekend, it was Ferrari and McLaren that stepped up to the plate, with Mercedes bearing down on them in the closing stages of the race on Sunday.

But a combination of Sainz’s clever driving and speed throughout the weekend held off those behind him as he took his second career victory, and both On Track GP presenters were impressed with what they saw from the Spaniard in Singapore.

‘Carlos Sainz took top honours for Ferrari’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/on-tra...re-grand-prix/


‘Reap what we’ve sown’: The Singapore mistakes that led to the end of F1 giant’s golden run
September 19th, 2023 12:19 pm
Michael Lamonato from Fox Sports
Fox Sports (Australia)02:50

Red Bull Racing’s Singapore Grand Prix performance wasn’t just poor; it was a historically bad weekend for a team used to bossing Formula 1. It’d been five years since Milton Keynes had last found itself with both cars out of qualifying before Q3 — the 2018 Russian Grand Prix...

But there were no regulation-related asterisks on the team’s 11th and 13th-place eliminations in Marina Bay at the weekend. That was pure performance — or “shocking” performance, as Verstappen put it. Before Singapore, Red Bull Racing had taken all but three pole positions — excluding Belgium, where Max Verstappen was fastest in qualifying but served a grid penalty. Its trio of defeats came at an average of 0.068 seconds.

In Singapore Verstappen was 0.734 slower than Carlos Sainz in Q2, which was 1.189 seconds off the eventual pole time. How did it go so wrong, and has a Red Bull Racing weakness been exposed? It’s not the first time the Singapore streets have tripped up a dominant car enjoying an otherwise completely untroubled season. Memories of Mercedes’s remarkable defeat in 2015 — having swept every pole up to that point only to find itself a remarkable 1.415 off the pace — were close to hand on Saturday night.

“Shocking”;

https://www.foxsports.com.au/motorsp...b5164a1bb3addb


Christian Horner claims Red Bull were "completely screwed" at Singapore GP as streak ends
Red Bull endured a terrible weekend in Singapore as they lost their 100 per cent winning record and Max Verstappen's historic F1 winning streak came to an abrupt end
11:41, 18 Sep 2023
By Daniel Moxon Senior F1 Writer
The Mirror

Christian Horner lamented his team's bad luck as Red Bull were "completely screwed" by the timing of the safety car during the Singapore Grand Prix. Reflecting on how the race had panned out, team principal Horner suggested the safety car had limited what his drivers could do. "I think we understood a lot more in the race and the pace of the car came much more back to what we expected," he told reporters.

"Coming here we expected to have closer competition. But I think it took us a bit by surprise just how far out we were on Friday. And I think that we were just not in the right operating window for the car, particularly over a single lap, and when you're not there then the tyres feel horrible, everything just doesn't work. So I think we got a very good steer in the race, I think that we saw, particularly in the latter stint, that Max's pace was very, very strong.”

“Unfortunately in the race, by starting on the hard, we took if you like a strategic gamble and the best way of that race paying us off is if you get an early safety car or a safety car later into the race. Now, the lap that the safety car came out in was probably strategically the worst possible lap for the strategy that we were on, because it gave the cars ahead of us a free stop. At the same time, whilst giving us track position, it made us take the restart with tyres that are very hard to heat up again, having done well over 20 laps. The safety car completely screwed it for us.

"Completely screwed";

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...stian-30966977


Christian Horner opens up on Max Verstappen’s fury during Singapore GP weekend
18 Sep 2023 4:30 PM
Thomas Maher
The Mirror

Red Bull boss Christian Horner has no complaints about Max Verstappen’s unhappiness with the handling of his RB19 throughout the weekend in Singapore.

However, Christian Horner said Verstappen’s temper isn’t something Red Bull concern themselves with, explaining that they expect the same standards of themselves as they do from their drivers. “He cares. And he wants it,” Horner said.

“He’s the most competitive driver we’ve ever worked with. That’s who he is. You know that, when he gets in the car, he’ll give you 110%. That’s exactly what he’s done today. He’s just a very honest guy, he doesn’t hide his emotions. I think that he was disappointed in yesterday, as the whole team was, but he brushed himself down and came back fighting today and put in a great drive.”

‘110%’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/christ...-prix-weekend/


Verstappen knows Singapore weekend was 'anamoly' - Horner
18 September 7:30PM
Author Fergal Walsh
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Max Verstappen knows that Red Bull's slump in performance at the Singapore Grand Prix was just an "anomaly", according to Christian Horner.

"Max has won 10 races in a row, he’s leading the World Championship by almost double the points of anybody else and he's got plenty of reasons to be happy with life at the moment," Horner told media including RacingNews365.

"He knows this was an anomaly and hopefully, we can be competitive again next week [in Japan]. He cares and he wants it, he's most competitive driver we've ever worked with. That's who he is. When he gets in a car, he'll give you 110%, and that's exactly what he's done [in the race].”

'Anamoly'

https://racingnews365.com/horner-ver...-f1-win-streak

[Fortitude]

Fred Vasseur confirms ‘clever’ DRS ploy came from Carlos Sainz himself.
Ferrari team principal Fred Vasseur has revealed the tactic deployed by Carlos Sainz to deliberately bring Lando Norris into his DRS range in Singapore came from his driver himself, rather than from the pit wall.
18 Sep 2023 9:00 PM
Henry Valantine
PlanetF1.com

Having made his way through to the chequered flag unscathed, the Ferrari team boss revealed it was his driver who took the initiative and tried something different on Sunday.

“It was the idea of Carlos, I don’t want to say it’s of use, but he knew he was more at risk with Mercedes than with Norris,” Vasseur told reporters after the race.

“With Norris we had the same tyres, almost the same pace from the lap one and we were not really at risk with Norris except if we lost the tyres, and it was a clever move from Carlos to keep Norris into the DRS.”

‘Clever DRS ploy came from Carlos Sainz himself’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/fred-v...-carlos-sainz/


Lando Norris rubs salt into Red Bull wounds by laughing at Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen lost his unbeaten record this season at the Singapore Grand Prix over the weekend.
17:09, Tue, Sep 19, 2023
By Charlie Parker-Turner
Daily and Sunday Express

Lando Norris has admitted that he has laughed with Max Verstappen about his performance at the Singapore Grand Prix that saw the Red Bull star forfeit his unbeaten record. The Dutchman only managed to finish fifth at Marina Bay as Red Bull lost their flawless record, failing to win a race for the first time in 2023.

Verstappen could only manage fifth, though he has shared a laugh with Norris about the performance, the McLaren driver has revealed. He explained: "I don't know what they struggled with but when I watched his onboard yesterday I kind of laughed because I've never seen a car that bad before.”

‘Lando Norris rubs salt into Red Bull’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...en-F1-Red-Bull


Lando Norris pokes fun at George Russell as Mercedes star fights tears after F1 crash
George Russell was left on the verge of tears after crashing late on during the Singapore Grand Prix but his compatriot Lando Norris didn’t appear to be full of sympathy after the race
22:46, 18 Sep 2023
By Daniel Orme Football Writer

Norris, who was going head-to-head with Russell for second place, gave his verdict on the crash after the game and teased his countryman but still claimed he was full of sympathy. “I hit the wall in the same place, I did the same,” the McLaren star told media. “So I think he copied me and did it even worse!

“So I feel for him, he fought a tough race, he was the quickest I would say out there today. So it helped me a bit, the last couple of corners I could chill.” Whilst Norris could see the light of the situation, the same could not be said of Russell. He was immediately put in front of the cameras after being forced to retire and was visibly emotional.

‘Lando Norris pokes fun’;

https://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/formu...appen-30973056


Oscar Piastri sends message to Martin Brundle after being snubbed on Singapore grid walk
Martin Brundle's grid walk in Singapore was a little more messy than Sky Sports viewers are used to.
08:41, Mon, Sep 18, 2023
By Harry Smith
Daily and Sunday Express

Oscar Piastri has sent a message to Martin Brundle after he was snubbed mid-interview at the Singapore Grand Prix, suggesting that the pair should reconvene to finish off the conversation in Suzuka this weekend. Brundle was attempting to grab drivers for his legendary grid walk segment on the Sky Sports F1 broadcast when he managed to stop Piastri and catch the 22-year-old for a chat. However, midway through this, the broadcaster became distracted.

With Alpine driver Esteban Ocon strolling past, Brundle dropped his conversation to try to catch the Frenchman in order to wish him a happy birthday. In the meantime, Piastri was left awkwardly waiting and decided to scamper off to his spot on the grid.

The young Aussie took to the social media platform X to message Brundle, posting: “Shall we finish that interview in Suzuka @MBrundleF1?” with winking and laughing emojis. Piastri then followed up that tweet by saying: “FWIW (for what it’s worth), I’d have done the same. Happy birthday @OconEsteban.”

‘Should reconvene to finish off the conversation’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...walk-Singapore


Mark Hughes: How Red Bull could still have won in Singapore
Sep 18, 2023
by Mark Hughes
The Race

With the Red Bulls starting 11th and 13th after their desperately bad qualifying, that sequence always looked like coming to an end around Singapore, a track demanding the second-highest pace difference of the season to pull off an overtake – and in a car which was just plain not as fast as the Ferrari, Mercedes and McLaren.

And yet… had Logan Sargeant not brought out the safety car on lap 20 by hitting the wall and leaving a debris trail in his wake as he returned to the pits, a very different race, with a very different Red Bull result may have played out.

Verstappen lost around 29s to the frontrunners as a result of how that safety car punished Red Bull’s inverted strategy of starting him and Sergio Perez on the hards in combination with the free stop the others got. It could not have come at a worse time. In fifth place at the end a couple of tenths behind Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari, he was just 21s behind the victorious Sainz. In the straight running of the race, without any safety car or VSC, Verstappen would have been in the thick of the action in the late stages, on newish medium tyres against the old hards of the Ferraris, Mercedes and Norris.

‘How Red Bull could still have won’;

https://www.the-race.com/formula-1/m...-in-singapore/

[Fortitude]

Red Bull coronation at Honda’s home track? Seven Japanese GP talking points.
For the best part of a year it seemed like no one could beat Red Bull. Then in Singapore last weekend not one, not two, but three of their rival teams beat them home.
20th September 2023, 7:15
Written by Will Wood
RaceFans

Red Bull’s revenge? For the first time in over 300 days, Red Bull competed in a grand prix that they did not win last weekend. Rather than suffering an unexpected double breakdown or having both cars caught up in an accident with their rivals or even each other, Red Bull’s record winning run came to an end simply because they lacked the pace of their rivals.
McLaren eying fourth place: Aside from Red Bull, Aston Martin were the stand-out performers in the early stages of the 2023 season. Fernando Alonso secured six podium appearances over the opening eight rounds and the team held second in the constructors’ standings until the Spanish Grand Prix in early June.

AlphaTauri under the microscope: AlphaTauri may be a Red Bull-owned team based in Italy, but they will be in the spotlight more than most teams in Japan this weekend as a result of their two drivers.
Will they go all the way? The Japanese Grand Prix has not reached its 53-lap distance in the last five years. After Lewis Hamilton took victory in 2018, Valtteri Bottas did the same for Mercedes the following year.

‘Japanese GP talking points’;

https://www.racefans.net/2023/09/20/...alking-points/


Verstappen primed to roar back at 'old school' Japan GP
Issued on: 20/09/2023 - 05:13
France 24

Suzuka (Japan) (AFP) – Runaway Formula One championship leader Max Verstappen will be determined to roar back at Sunday's Japanese Grand Prix after his record streak of 10 straight wins ended in Singapore.

The 25-year-old told reporters after struggling with Singapore's street circuit, where overtaking is all but impossible, that "this track is so different to Suzuka and it doesn't relate".

"We have learned a bit from today and have a few ideas with what we got wrong," he said after Carlos Sainz triumphed for Ferrari to ruin Red Bull's perfect record this season. I cannot go into details but I feel good about Suzuka."

‘Verstappen primed to roar back’;

https://www.france24.com/en/live-new...chool-japan-gp


Lance Stroll provides crucial Japanese GP fitness update after missing Singapore race
20 Sep 2023 7:39 AM
Jamie Woodhouse
PlanetF1.com

Lance Stroll has silenced all speculation by confirming that he will return to the Aston Martin cockpit for the Japanese Grand Prix.

With Aston Martin having played down the prospect of Stroll being absent from this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix too, the driver has now taken to social media to confirm that he is indeed fit and ready to get back to action at Suzuka.
“Thank you for all the kind messages,” he wrote in a post.
“Ready to race this weekend.”

Aston Martin will be hoping for a far smoother race in Japan after Singapore descended into a nightmare, Alonso calling the AMR23 “undriveable” at one stage in the race, with a poor Aston Martin pit stop also helping him on his way to a lowly P15 finish.

‘All speculation silenced’;

https://www.planetf1.com/news/lance-...ingapore-race/


2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix session timings and preview
Sep 20, 2023, 7:03 AM
By: Rachit Thukral
Motorsport.com

Red Bull's winning streak came to an end in Singapore last weekend, with Carlos Sainz scoring an emphatic victory for Ferrari from pole position. However, all signs point to the status quo returning at Suzuka, with the Honda-powered Red Bull squad favourite to take top honors in front of Japanese fans.

Max Verstappen won last time out at Suzuka, leading a 1-2 for Red Bull ahead of Sergio Perez. The previous six races in Japan, dating back to the start of the V6 hybrid era in 2014, were all won by Mercedes.

‘Status quo returning at Suzuka’;

https://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/2...view/10522434/


Leclerc hopes Suzuka win 'possible' for positive Ferrari future.
19 September 4:06PM
Author Rory Mitchell
Co-author Aaron Deckers
RacingNews365

Charles Leclerc hopes Ferrari can continue its run of competitive races at the Japanese Grand Prix for the sake of the team's future success. "I really hope it's possible to reproduce that in Suzuka," he told media including RacingNews365. "I'm really looking forward to seeing it because if we do that, then it's a really good sign for the future. As I've said in Zandvoort, we've done many tests.”

"In Monza, we wanted to reconfirm those tests and the understanding we had from the car, from here, we applied everything and it seemed to do a big step forward. Having said that, Singapore has historically been a very good track for us so we need to wait one more race to see whether we have done a really good step forward consistently, or whether it's one-off."

One of the main problems of the SF-23 has been the 'aero peakiness' which has made the car unstable through high-speed corners. Leclerc described how Ferrari has managed to find a compromise in its car setup, but admits that it could make it harder to drive in certain conditions.

‘Suzuka win possible';

https://racingnews365.com/leclerc-ho...ferrari-future

[Fortitude]

What to expect from the 2023 F1 Japanese Grand Prix.
The circuit is one of the most challenging on the calendar, characterised by the long sweeping corners and small run-offs.
20 September 1:40PM
Author Rory Mitchell
RacingNews365

Following a thrilling race in Singapore the next flyaway race on the Formula 1 calendar is at Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix. The tropical weather also sometimes plays havoc with the weekend, although this weekend it looks like it could be straightforward.

Red Bull head into the race having had their 14 race run of victories unseated by Ferrari's Carlos Sainz, but will they finally achieve what has been a formality since the start of the season? Red Bull can wrap up the Constructors' Championship this weekend, after the team failed to secure it in Singapore with a difficult finish.

They are 308 points ahead of Mercedes and would need to outscore the team with both Verstappen and Sergio Perez, with the margin needing to be at least 309 points by the end of the weekend.

‘What to expect’;

https://racingnews365.com/what-to-ex...ese-grand-prix


Suzuka, you are special! 2023 Japanese GP Preview
Published ‎Sep‎ ‎20‎, ‎2023‎ ‎1‎:‎32‎ ‎PM
Inside Line F1 Podcast (Weblog)

The Formula 1 circus travels Far East to race in Suzuka, one of the most-legendary circuits on the calendar. The Japanese Formula 1 fans are special for their love for the sport transcends team-driver boundaries. But of course, they've got Yuki Tsunoda to cheer for, for yet another race. But will he be there in 2024? Should an extension announcement come this weekend?

The key question, though, is - will Red Bull Racing and Max Verstappen resume their dominant ways? OR has the 'flexi' technical directive literally slowed them down this much? Will Charles Leclerc bounce back at Ferrari? We can't recollect when last was he out-qualified and out-scored by a team-mate for three races in row. Yes, Carlos Sainz has been in splendid form post-summer break.

‘Suzuka, you are special!’;

https://omny.fm/shows/inside-line-f1...ese-gp-preview


IT’S RACE WEEK: 5 storylines we’re excited about ahead of the 2023 Japanese Grand Prix
20 September 2023
Chris Medland
Special Contributor
Formula One - Official Site

How will Red Bull respond? Red Bull will want to put the last race behind them quickly, partly just because of the nature of the calendar meaning they need to be on form from the start of FP1 on Friday, but also because Japan provides them with their first chance to win the constructors’ championship this year.

The challengers looking to keep the pressure on: Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur attributes the recent performances to work done at Zandvoort after the summer break, and then Sainz being able to hit the ground running from the very first lap of FP1 at each of the last two venues.

Liam Lawson’s second home: He’s already raced at Suzuka in Super Formula and is set to do so again in October’s title decider, so it’s a track he has the most recent knowledge of outside of F1. Lawson is also likely to get a large amount of support given his local exploits and the fact he’s driving for a Honda-affiliated team, which perhaps means he now faces his first weekend with a form of expectation on his shoulders.

‘A special atmosphere (full main grandstand at Suzuka long after dark on a Thursday)’;

https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/a...LIyL1fbTb.html


Stroll makes STATEMENT on his racing return after Singapore crash
Wednesday 20 September 2023 14:27
Lauren Sneath
GPFans

Lance Stroll has confirmed that he is ‘ready to race’ at the Japanese Grand Prix after missing last week’s race following a crash in qualifying. At the Singapore Grand Prix, as the Canadian driver attempted to make it out of Q1 he pushed too hard and sent the car hurtling into the barriers.
The car was severely damaged, and a huge amount of debris flew onto the track. Luckily Stroll walked away from the scene unhurt, but the team later announced that he was still ‘feeling the effects’ of the massive crash and would sit out the race the next day.

‘Ready to race’;

https://www.gpfans.com/en/f1-news/10...panese-suzuka/


Mercedes have plan to help Lewis Hamilton and George Russell ahead of Japan GP
Mercedes have hatched a plan to help improve their fortunes.
12:07, Wed, Sep 20, 2023
By George Glinski

Mercedes are expected to roll out a new set of upgrades towards the back end of the year. George Russell claims there are "a few more things to come" as the Silver Arrows battle it out for second place in the constructors rankings.

Mercedes are currently placed second in the standings, 24 points ahead of Ferrari and 72 in front of Aston Martin. However, they gave up ground on both at the Singapore Grand Prix last weekend. Mercedes are hoping to ensure they don't give up any more points to their rivals by rolling out some improvements to their cars with Russell revealing there are a few on their way.

"In all honesty, there'll be a few more little things to come towards the end of the season, which will aid our learning into next season," he said. Mercedes have struggled to replicate the success of the past decade in recent years but Russell hopes they can learn from their mistakes and come back stronger next season.

‘Roll out a new set of upgrades’;

https://www.express.co.uk/sport/f1-a...ussell-F1-news


Kannapolis-based Haas F1 Team says “Konnichiwa,” preps for Japanese Grand Prix
Published: Sep. 20, 2023 at 11:05 AM GMT+1
By David Whisenant
WBTV

Kevin Magnussen: Some drivers decide to stay in Singapore after the race while others choose to travel to Japan for a few extra days before activities begin in Suzuka. What was your travel plan?
“After the race, my team and I stayed in Singapore for a few days, hung out and did some training. It feels good at least to just chill out and train well the day after the race and do what we need to do physically to prepare for Suzuka.”

Nico Hulkenberg: Some drivers decide to stay in Singapore after the race while others choose to travel to Japan for a few extra days before activities begin in Suzuka. What was your travel plan?
“Japan is so far away that when you get an opportunity to explore for a couple of days, I think you should take it. Our engineering department, some other members of the team, and myself went to Tokyo. It’s also rare that I get to spend time with the team away from the track, so this was a fun way to spend it.”

‘Preps for Japanese Grand Prix’;

https://www.wbtv.com/2023/09/20/kann...se-grand-prix/