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Sergio Perez wins a DNF packed Singapore GP

Sergio Perez wins a DNF packed Singapore GP

02-10-2022 16:13 Last update: 16:15
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Sergio Perez wins the Singapore Grand Prix to take his second win of the season, with Verstappen missing out on a chance to clinch the title. Leclerc try as he might could only manage second place and narrow that vast gap in the standings to Verstappen. 

How it unfolded 

After an hour of delays waiting for the rain to clear, the race was finally underway. With an outside chance of winning the championship, a good start for Max Verstappen was crucial. But it was anything but a good start for the Dutchman, after the end of lap one, Verstappen had dropped four places, his chance slipping further away. 

But if Max was having problems off the line, his championship rival wasn't exactly smiling. Heading into turn one, Sergio Perez managed to jump Charles Leclerc to take to lead and that is where he stayed up to the inevitable first safety car of the race. Fresh from his new deal with Alfa Romeo, Zhou parked his car just after turn 5. 

But the usual chaos that ensues at the Marina Bay Street Circuit seemed a long way off. Perez maintained his lead with the chasing pack holding their shape and Verstappen stuck behind Fernando Alonso. 

However, as the race reached the quarter mark, it became a standoff in strategic calls. The track was drying, but much like Turkey 2021, the standing water was sticking around for longer than expected. Who would bite first and gamble on a pair of slicks? The answer came on lap 22. Fernando Alonso lost power in his Alpine, bringing out the VSC, and George Russell dove into the pits to take the plunge. A pair of mediums on, would this be a decisive moment? Coming out of the pits, he lit up the rear end, sliding this way and that way, providing all the evidence the rest of the teams needed that we were far from dry running. 

A series of VSCs followed. Esteban Ocon and Alex Albon were both out as we reached the halfway mark. 

Lap 34, and things started to change. Russell, long after fitting slick tyres, was finally putting in fast times, and the rest of the grid responded. Ferrari went for the undercut on Red Bull, and it backfired. Somehow Leclerc managed to lose 11 seconds to the race leader Perez, but he'd get another chance after a safety car was called for Yuki Tsunoda, after he crashed on lap 36. 

From the restart, Perez got away well, but after an already difficult race for Verstappen, he locked up going into turn 5 and lost all the progress he'd made, falling from 5th to dead last, pitting for a new set of tyres. 

The back end of the race was a straight battle for the win. Leclerc hunting down Perez, getting closer and closer with each lap, but on the tight streets of Singapore, it's never easy to get past. 

With the tyres wearing away, it was an easy run to the finish for Perez. He nursed his Red Bull towards the chequered flag to take victory for the second time this season. A total of six DNFs maintained Singapore's chaotic reputation