Crimson Bull and Max Verstappen’s consecutive win streaks got here to an finish in Singapore as Carlos Sainz took victory for Ferrari; Verstappen and Sergio Perez couldn’t get well from double Q2 exit and completed fifth and eighth; Christian Horner says Security Automobile ‘fully screwed’ race technique
Final Up to date: 17/09/23 6:42pm
Crimson Bull noticed their 15-race successful streak led to Singapore
Christian Horner has conceded the Singapore Grand Prix weekend uncovered the weak spot of Crimson Bull’s beforehand unbeaten RB19 and says it’s a “very helpful lesson” for his or her 2024 automobile.
Crimson Bull’s unprecedented successful streak of 15 races ended on the Marina Bay Avenue Circuit after a double Q2 exit in qualifying which Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez couldn’t overcome as Carlos Sainz claimed victory for Ferrari on Sunday.
Beginning eleventh, Verstappen finally got here dwelling fifth whereas Perez made it as much as eighth from thirteenth on the grid.
Crimson Bull had been off the tempo from Friday however Horner mentioned the crew understood their points rather more after Sunday’s race and hopes the uncommon weaknesses uncovered will be capable to be mounted for his or her 2024 RB20.
“I feel possibly our simulation earlier than the weekend did not lead us to the best conclusion after which it’s a must to type of unravel your approach out of that,” Horner mentioned.
“We simply ended up within the mistaken window and it uncovered a few of our weaknesses that the automobile has. It has truly been a really helpful lesson for subsequent yr as a result of it provides us a really helpful perception on sure issues that hopefully we will tackle in RB20.”
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Highlights of the Singapore Grand Prix from the Marina Bay Avenue Circuit.
Highlights of the Singapore Grand Prix from the Marina Bay Avenue Circuit.
He added: “We understood much more within the race and the tempo of the automobile got here rather more again to what we anticipated.
“We knew coming right here we anticipated to have nearer competitors, nevertheless it took us a bit by shocked simply how far our we have been on Friday and we have been simply not in the best working window for the automobile, significantly over a single lap.
“While you’re not there, the tyres really feel horrible and the whole lot simply does not work. I feel we acquired an excellent steer within the race. Notably within the latter stint Max’s tempo was very, very robust.”
Horner: Security Automobile timing ‘fully screwed’ technique gamble
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Ted Kravitz is within the paddock as he evaluations all the most important tales from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
Ted Kravitz is within the paddock as he evaluations all the most important tales from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
Verstappen and Perez began on the exhausting tyre in a bid to make up locations when vehicles forward of them pitted. However the Security Automobile being deployed on lap 20 after Logan Sargeant’s Williams hit the wall allowed the lead vehicles to achieve a ‘free’ pit cease.
Verstappen and Perez briefly ran second and fourth by staying out, however they have been swiftly picked off by George Russell, Lando Norris, Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc on their contemporary tyres.
The Crimson Bulls lastly needed to pit below racing situations on laps 39 and 40 – moments earlier than a lap 43 Digital Security Automobile deployment – with Verstappen and Perez re-emerging in fifteenth and 18th respectively, from which they each made up 10 locations of their remaining stint.
“The lap the Security Automobile got here out on was in all probability strategically the worst attainable lap for the technique that we have been on as a result of it gave the vehicles forward of us a free cease concurrently while giving us monitor place it made us take the restart with tyres which are very exhausting to warmth up once more having achieved over 20 laps,” Horner mentioned.
“Max was then picked off by guys who had the free cease. We then needed to do a pit cease below regular racing situations which then drop you one other 23 seconds behind with that. All thought of, the restoration that we had and the tempo we had within the latter a part of the race was a robust race.”
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George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton all handed Max Verstappen shortly after the Security Automobile restart
George Russell, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton all handed Max Verstappen shortly after the Security Automobile restart
Horner expects Crimson Bull to be again within the hunt for victory at subsequent weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, which is dwell on Sky Sports activities F1.
“Have a look at the final 18 months, this has in all probability been one in every of our trickiest race weekends – or actually Friday and Saturday, within the race the automobile was fairly robust,” he mentioned.
“A totally totally different format, fully totally different kind of circuit, so hopefully we could be aggressive in Japan.
“Let’s have a look at if it is circuit particular. If Ferrari are out of the blue first and second in Japan subsequent weekend, then we’ll see if there is a important soar.
“We have seen type transfer round a lot this yr – the one constant was ourselves and this weekend we have been the one which discovered ourselves barely out of form and whereas we recovered within the race, the Security Automobile fully screwed it for us.”
Verstappen, whose consecutive wins document will stand at 10, believes he will likely be again combating on the entrance in Japan.
“I feel we will likely be fast in Suzuka,” he informed Sky Sports activities F1.
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Max Verstappen says he had ‘enjoyable’ on his second stint after a troublesome weekend and expects to be a lot faster in Japan.
Max Verstappen says he had ‘enjoyable’ on his second stint after a troublesome weekend and expects to be a lot faster in Japan.
‘Crimson Bull by no means anticipated to scrub sweep 2023 season’
Given the RB19’s dominance to this point this season, many within the paddock had speculated that Crimson Bull might win each race in 2023, however Horner insists that had by no means been on the crew’s thoughts.
“We by no means anticipated [a clean sweep]. There have been nonetheless eight [now seven] races to go,” Horner mentioned.
“I have been requested since just about Jeddah and to have gotten by means of 15 races is past our wildest imaginations. For Max to have received 10 in a row is madness. Extremely proud to have the primary and second (Sebastian Vettel) most [driver wins in a row] in Formulation 1.
“Whereas statistics apparently do not matter, they’re ones that as a crew we’re extremely pleased with.
“To have gotten this far, to have damaged a document since 1988 reveals simply how exhausting it’s to attain the supremacy that we have achieved this yr. It is testimony to everybody doing their half.”
Get able to set these early alarms as Formulation 1 now heads to Suzuka for the Japanese GP. Watch all periods dwell on Sky Sports activities F1 from September 22-24. Stream F1 on Sky Sports activities with NOW. Cancel anytime