The Singapore Grand Prix is always a unique challenge – a night race under the lights on a tight street circuit with walls far closer than anyone would like. Combine the tricky twists and turns with relentless humidity and soaring temperatures, and it’s never an easy feat for the drivers. This year, the buzz around the paddock almost outshone the action on track, with rumours swirling about driver changes and team shakeups.
That being said, the race itself was still eventful enough, especially considering it was the first time in Singapore’s history that we didn’t see a single yellow flag or safety car. Want to find out who thrived under the city lights and who struggled in the heat? Here are your winners and losers of the weekend.
Top of the class:
Lando Norris – Qualifying: 1st | Race: 1st
Lando was on it all weekend, giving us what might just be his best performance in F1 to date. After securing pole, there were whispers of doubt—could he actually hold onto it? After all, he’d lost the lead in five out of five previous pole starts on the first lap. But this time, Norris kept it cool. Not only did he hang on, he vanished into the night, leaving everyone else to squint at his taillights.
His winning margin over Max Verstappen? Nearly 21 seconds—yep, that big. While he had a couple of flirty moments with the barriers, it was smooth sailing for the rest of the race. Lando now sits just 52 points behind Verstappen in the title race with six Grands Prix and three Sprints to go. Watch this space.
Max Verstappen – Qualifying: 2nd | Race: 2nd
It’s almost amusing to see Max back at the top of the class after such an extended period of absolute dominance where he barely deserved a mention. But, here we are—after a brief dip, it seems Red Bull has mostly found their mojo again. Not quite the same untouchable form from earlier this season, but things are definitely looking up.
Verstappen didn’t quite have the pace to challenge Lando once the McLaren bolted ahead, but let’s give credit where it’s due. After Friday’s nightmare, where Max and his Red Bull bounced over every kerb and bump like a shopping trolley with a dodgy wheel, finishing second is a small victory. Seven points dropped might sting a bit, but on a weekend where it could’ve been much worse, especially at a track Max has never particularly excelled at. It feels more like a win in disguise.
Franco Colapinto – Qualifying: 12th | Race: 11th
For a guy only in his third F1 weekend, Colapinto’s performance was surprisingly composed. You wouldn’t have guessed he’s still a rookie by the way he almost outqualified Albon, even without the upgrades. In the race, he made a gutsy dive into Turn 1 taking three places, and while aggressive, it was never reckless.
And let’s not forget the fact that he held up a much faster Sergio Pérez for a good chunk of the race—that’s a feat worth applauding. He might not have made it into the points, but holding his own against seasoned drivers? That’s progress.
Honourable mention: Nico Hülkenberg
For the first time this season, Haas have scored points in three successive events. Hülkenberg made it happen. Starting from a stunning sixth on the grid, he brought it home in ninth—his first points since Silverstone and his sixth points finish of the year.
Nico’s been Haas’ main point scorer all season, reminding us all what the American team is about to lose next year. Keep your eyes on him; he’s still got plenty to show.
The Struggle Bus:
Daniel Ricciardo – Qualifying: 16th | Race: 18th (+FL)
If you ask Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo might as well be the star of the weekend for one sneaky move – nabbing the fastest lap point (well, he didn’t get it, but he sure as hell stopped McLaren from taking it). That little trick ensured Max’s lead over Lando Norris is one point bigger than it could have been. So, if Verstappen ends up winning the championship by a single point, well, he might owe Danny a drink for that.
But that one cheeky lap aside, Ricciardo’s weekend was pretty much one to forget. Finishing last (with Albon and Magnussen retiring), his struggles on track were evident. What’s worse, though, are the whispers echoing around the paddock about his potential ousting. Rumour has it he might be on his way out of VCARB before the season’s even over – and the Aussie didn’t exactly rush to deny those claims. His post-race interviews practically confirmed it’s a done deal.
It’s a shame because next up is Austin – a race that might as well have been stamped with Daniel’s name. He’s pulled out all the stops there in the past, even showing up on a horse. To think this might be the last we see of him in an F1 car this year feels like a cruel twist of fate. Especially considering some drivers across the grid, who have arguably performed worse, still have their seats. Max Verstappen certainly hasn’t been shy about hinting at that.
Alexander Albon – Qualifying: 11th | Race: DNF
It’s a rarity, but that does not make it less true, Alex Albon was feeling the heat from a team-mate. Franco Colapinto really gave him something to think about. Albon was furious after being passed by the rookie at the start, though replays showed the situation wasn’t as bad as he first thought. But even without the rookie rattling him, the race didn’t go to plan.
Despite the Williams running a suspension upgrade, Albon was stuck in 15th, before eventually being forced to retire with a power unit issue. Tough luck on a weekend where it looked like Williams could’ve grabbed some much-needed points.
Sergio Pérez – Qualifying: 13th | Race: 10th
It’s a really good job Ricciardo hasn’t performed while being Red Bull’s “banker” (in Christian Horner’s words) for Sergio Pérez this year. Because these are the kinds of weekends that mean Pérez wouldn’t still be Verstappen’s team-mate if there was even a semi-suitable replacement.
It’s a shame given he was so strong in Baku last week (until the crash, that was). But that’s unfortunately looking like the 2024 outlier weekend. Singapore’s early qualifying exit then spending the race stuck in the midfield pattern is much more normal. During which he was stuck behind the Williams of Franco Colapinto for some time before progressing into the points.
A solitary point was the reward for Pérez’s efforts, coming at a crucial time in the championship fight but couldn’t progress beyond a Haas and Aston Martin in front.
Team-mate Verstappen did his part for Red Bull by splitting the McLaren duo on the podium, but without a haul of points from Pérez, McLaren was able to extend its lead to 41 points.
Dishonourable mention: Mercedes
What do you get when you turn a second-row lockout into fourth and sixth? A weekend to forget, well at least for Mercedes. They could have – and certainly should have done better.
Lewis Hamilton may have pulled off one of his best qualifying performances of the season, but gambling on used softs forced an early pit stop, and he was left chasing from behind.
As for George Russell, he never looked like moving up, finishing in fourth with barely a whisper of the podium in sight. Not a disaster, but certainly not what Mercedes had hoped for.
As the dust settles on Singapore’s gruelling heat and humidity, the paddock is left wondering whether this was truly Daniel Ricciardo’s last race of the season. While nothing is confirmed just yet, we’ll have to wait and see if Danny will be back behind the wheel in the coming weeks.
For now, the teams get a chance to recover and regroup, possibly even pop home for a bit, as they pack their bags for the long haul to Austin, Texas. The US Grand Prix is up next, and this time it’s a Sprint weekend, which means more action-packed racing than just qualifying and Sunday’s Grand Prix.
Sprint Qualifying takes place on Friday, October 18 at 10:30 pm UK time. The action continues on Saturday, October 19 with the Sprint Race at 7:00 pm, following the regular Qualifying at 11pm. Finally, the Grand Prix itself kicks off on Sunday, October 20 at 8:00 pm.
