Max Verstappen finishes second in the Singapore Grand Prix
The F1 Singapore Grand Prix finished in the same order it began on Sunday, with Max Verstappen finishing second behind Lando Norris of McLaren. This was the starting grid after qualifying yesterday. Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished third, giving the team another boost in the constructors championship.
It was an uneventful race for both men. The start kept the order the same, as Norris got away quicker than the reigning champion and kept his lead.
Mclaren’s team engineer asked Norris to increase the pace after a while as he felt they could create a significant gap to Verstappen. He was correct, as Norris led by seven seconds in the 13th lap.
It almost got interesting in the 28th lap when Norris hit the wall slightly. There was some concern that his car may have been damaged. Red Bull reacted quickly and brought Verstappen in for his first pit stop.
Charles Leclerc of Ferrari was just about ahead of Verstappen as the Red Bull driver came out of the pits. It was a close call, but it did not matter for long as Verstappen passed the Ferrari a lap later.
This left him in this place behind both McLaren cars. Piastri had taken Verstappen’s second spot while he was changing his tires. Verstappen got the second place back when Piastri went for a pit stop.
But it was a familiar story for Red Bull as the McLaren car was too fast. In the end, Verstappen finished second with a 22-second gap to Norris.
The second place ensures that Verstappen keeps a comfortable lead in the F1 season rankings. The 26-year-old has 331 points, and Norris is in second place with 279 points. Six races are remaining in the F1 season.
However, the constructors championship is getting out of Red Bull’s grasp. The two podium places for McLaren helped them increase their lead at the top. They have 516 points compared to Red Bull, which has 475.