Max Verstappen in contention for PODIUM at Singapore Grand Prix after safety car

Verstappen, start, Singapore, 2023 — Photo: © LAT Images

Singapore Grand Prix

Verstappen in contention for PODIUM at Singapore Grand Prix after safety car

Max Verstappen has shot up the order after the first safety car at the Singapore Grand Prix

Sam Cook Digital Journalist

Sports Journalist who has been covering motorsport since 2023

Sunday 17 September 2023 14:52 Updated: 15:15

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Max Verstappen has moved up into the top six at the Singapore Grand Prix after Logan Sargeant crashed into the barriers on lap 19, leading to the first safety car of the race.

Sargeant's front wing was hanging off as he managed to make it back to the pits, but he released debris all over the track, meaning the safety car was called out.

This led to a flurry of pit stops but, with Ferrari double-stacking, Leclerc was seriously hampered, dropping from second down into sixth position as George Russell and Lando Norris benefited.

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Lewis Hamilton also managed to get past the Monegasque driver, but both Red Bulls staying out saw them surge up the order.

Verstappen currently finds himself in fifth on the hard tyre, with Sergio Perez down in seventh.

They will need to come into the pits at some point, but it's the first sign of a Red Bull resurgence since their poor qualifying session on Saturday saw them start 11th and 13th.

With possible rain on the way and the chance of a further safety car, Verstappen finds himself in the hunt for a possible podium.

Safety car chaos

Singapore's 100 per cent safety car record was maintained after Sargeant's crash

Although Sargeant is still running right at the back of the grid, it is likely that his car has some serious damage on it, despite Williams managing to change his front wing.

The debris on the track led to the safety car coming out, and most drivers opted to pit, including Russell who is ahead of Leclerc and now chasing Carlos Sainz down in first.

Both Verstappen and Perez have since fallen down the order, running in sixth and eighth respectively, as they hope for another safety car to enable them to put on a fresh set of slicks for the final stint of the race.