F1 Analysis

5 Things we learned from THRILLING Singapore Grand Prix

It was a topsy-turvy weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit

Jim Kimberley

Monday 18 September 2023 18:32 Updated: 22:08

The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix turned this season's abundant promise into reality, seeing three manufacturers racing for the win and leaving viewers guessing who would cross the line first, even on the last lap.

We might not get a multiple-driver championship scrap this year, but at least we have Marina Bay's memorable Sunday drive to remind us of what this sport is capable of.

So, after three thrilling days, here are the five things we've learned from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.

One Tight Pack

The RB19 has somewhat masked the competitiveness of the current generation cars with its (almost) all-conquering ways.

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Aside from a handful of Saturdays, Red Bull Racing has always occupied the top spot, leaving the remaining podium positions as the unknown quantity.

Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez's lack of a competitive car around the Marina Bay Street Circuit meant that the usual best-of-the-rest award suddenly became a grand prix victory.

We're used to seeing Ferrari and Mercedes in the top spots over the last decade or so, but for McLaren to also be there on merit just added to the excellent situation.

Consider that Aston Martin also boast seven top-three finishes this year, and there's a realisation that half the grid can claim to be genuine podium contenders.

Yes, I fully expect Red Bull to be back at their best by Suzuka. Still, I hope Formula 1's display in Singapore highlights how well the new regulations work for any doubtful fence-sitters considering switching off.

Awesome Lawson

There are few tougher tests for a driver than the humidity, heat, and hard barriers of the 5 km Marina Bay Street Circuit.

So imagine how intense it must've been for a rookie driver racing in an unfamiliar car in just his third grand prix.

Yet Liam Lawson fought his way up to points in Singapore — two of them, after George Russell's late-race retirement — to nearly double AlphaTauri's 2023 total tally.

AlphaTauri's Liam Lawson finished P9 on his Singapore debut

Considering how poor the AT04 is, even with its recent upgrades, that is a mark of a driver firmly grabbing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Everything about Lawson's weekend is earning the young Kiwi favour with fans, and he arguably triggered the shock of the season when he demoted Verstappen out of Q2 on Saturday.

Lawson might fancy more points should Daniel Ricciardo's injury rule him out of Japan, too.

He's already raced Suzuka this year in Super Formula and has a two-part finale at the famous Japanese circuit in October, where he could take the title.

Change is Good

There wasn't to be a fourth DRS zone in Singapore after the circuit alteration that shortened its final sector, but the altered layout was an improvement.

Even something as simple as the safety car and VSC's appearances not immediately meaning we'd hit the two-hour time limit was a welcome change.

Even more importantly, we saw overtaking in the final corners of the lap... without needing Nelson Piquet Jr. to crash into a wall.

The first restart had the new straight become the spot for aggressive overtakes on the limping Red Bulls, with Lando Norris and George Russell steaming alongside Verstappen and Perez into Turn 16.

Although I suspect a grandstand pointing away from the track will mean the original third sector will return in the future, I hope this year's race makes any decision to revert the layout much tougher to sell.

The Streak is Over

After such a magnificent season, Singapore will feel like a slap in the face for the two-time champion driver excelling in 2023.

I'm not talking about Verstappen here, but Fernando Alonso, whose woeful race had him cross the line as the last of all finishers.

Along with fellow champions Hamilton and Verstappen, Alonso was one of three drivers to score points at every 2023 race before his P15 on Sunday.

That run spectacularly ended when the Spaniard suffered three disastrous moments to destroy his race.

First, he ran wide on pit entry under the safety car to pick up a five-second penalty. Then, a super-slow stop on Lap 45 under the VSC dropped him to P15. Finally, he ran deep on his fresh soft tyres to fall to the back after needing a three-point turn to recover. Ouch.

CarLando: Silverware Edition

The Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris bromance is one of the sport's feel-good stories of recent years.

Sainz led Norris through his rookie season, and the tight bond that grew between the two remains strong today.

If you told the pair in 2019 that they'd take a 1-2 finish under the Singapore lights while fending off a two-pronged Mercedes attack, they wouldn't believe you.

Former team-mates Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris shared the podium with Lewis Hamilton

Flash forward to September 2023, and the post-race hug was a genuine moment of appreciation between two of F1's loved personalities.

Although Sainz dropping back to let Norris get DRS was an act of self-preservation from the Ferrari driver, you have to think there was an extra element of trust in his cockpit to know that his good friend would read his mind.

Norris immediately picked up on what was going on to secure P2 and create one of those rare podiums where all three drivers seemed delighted to be there.

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Jim Kimberley -

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