Singapore Grand Prix (2014) RESULT
Sun, 21 Sep 2014
Singapore Grand Prix (2014) RESULT
Qualifying for today’s Singapore Grand Prix was a close fought affair, with not much more than half a second separating the top nine, and just seven thousands of a second splitting pole and second. So will Mercedes be able to pull-off another one-two win at Sepang? Actually, no, they couldn’t, but that’s because Nico Rosberg had electrical problems before the start and had to join the race from the pit lane, and ended up retiring as the electrical gremlins proved terminal. But Hamilton did have to make an effort to take the win.
Leading comfortably after 31 laps, a collision between Perez and Sutil threw debris across the track saw the safety car employed, and Hamilton’s six-second lead over Alonso at that point evaporated with Hamilton needing a pit stop before the race end.
The race restarted on lap 38 and Hamilton stormed off to build a 25 second lead before pitting on lap 52, rejoining between Vettel and Ricciardo, but with fresh rubber he retook the lead and pulled away to take the win.
Behind the dominant Hamilton it was a fight between Vettel, Ricciardo and Alonso for the other two podium places, with Alonso managing a strong race – despite overcooking the first corner at the start after he’d passed the Red Bulls and having to cede a place back to Vettel to avoid the wrath of the stewards – but didn’t have enough left to pass the Red Bulls and had to settle for fourth place.
Behind Alonso it was another battle, with Massa hanging on to fifth whilst team mate Bottas couldn’t get any more life out of his rubber and dropped from sixth to eleventh in the closing laps, with Vergne and Perez powering through to sixth and seventh on fresher rubber, passing Raikkonen who finished in eighth, with Hulkenberg in ninth and McLaren’s Magnussen in tenth. Jenson Button retired.
The win by Hamilton means he retakes the lead in the drivers championship from Rosberg and leads by three points. Which gives them both everything to fight for as the F1 season moves in to its closing stages.
By Cars UK