Was Sainz's performance the best from a Ferrari driver in over a decade?

Was Sainz's performance the best from a Ferrari driver in over a decade?

 

 

 

Carlos Sainz – 10After an impressive weekend at Monza, Sainz went one better to deliver the best performance of his entire F1 career. Not only did he have the pace, his intellect and race IQ was outstanding to keep Norris behind in DRS range which ultimately allowed them both to fend off the two Ferraris. An incredible performance from the Spaniard in Singapore – arguably the best from a Ferrari driver since Alonso in Valencia (2012).

Lando Norris – 9.5It’s great to see Norris finally have a car capable of challenging for podiums on a regular basis. While McLaren lacked one-lap pace, Norris ran with the Ferraris and Mercedes pair on race day. Another brilliant P2 for the British driver.Lewis Hamilton – 8Hamilton was a step behind teammate Russell throughout the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. However, with a potential 1-2 on the cards, Hamilton came alive at the end of the race, and looked to have the edge.Charles Leclerc – 7Leclerc’s form continues to be disappointing by his high standards. Perhaps Sainz is performing at the peak of his powers, regardless, he was never at his teammate’s level in Singapore. He was happy to play the team game and did protect Sainz during the first stint of the race.

Max Verstappen – 8Despite Red Bull’s struggles, the car was still capable of making it into Q3, even though it was a handful. You can’t really fault his display in the race.Pierre Gasly – 7Gasly was clearly the slower of the two Alpines in Singapore. However, he raced well, making the most of his teammate’s misfortune. Oscar Piastri – 7Piastri was unfortunate to get knocked out in Q1 due to the timing of the red flag following Stroll’s . The Australian recovered well from the back in the race, even though he didn’t have the McLaren upgrades. Expect a better Suzuka for him.Sergio Perez – 6Given Red Bull’s lack of pace at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, it wasn’t too surprising to see Perez struggle to make too much progress. He was clumsy in his battles with Tsunoda and Albon – both he was at fault at. 

Liam Lawson – 8.5Lawson continues to make a strong case for him to be on the grid for 2024. He was the driver who ensured Verstappen didn’t make it into Q3 Kevin Magnussen – 8Along with Miami, Singapore was Magnussen’s most competitive weekend of the year. Sixth in qualifying, followed up by a points finish. Impressive.Related Verstappen suggests “bad luck with the Safety Car” cost Red Bull better result Wolff reveals Mercedes data showed they’d finish 1-2 after second pit stopAlex Albon – 7.5Williams didn’t expect to perform well in Singapore and they proved to be correct. However, points did look to be a possibility had it not been for an incident with Perez.Zhou Guanyu – 6Zhou was 0.4s off teammate Bottas in qualifying. He enjoyed a better Sunday, finishing just outside the points.

Nico Hulkenberg – 7Hulkenberg was a step behind his teammate in Singapore. His strategy didn’t quite work out.Logan Sargeant – 5.5Another poor weekend from Sargeant, who was the cause of the early Safety Car.Fernando Alonso – 6Alonso’s chance of points was ruined by an uncharacteristic mistake, cutting the pit entry. Even before that, he was aloof in his fight with Ocon as he struggled to get by Ocon.George Russell – 4.5It’s hard to give Russell a fair rating for his performance in Singapore. While he did out on the last lap, his drive up until then – including his qualifying performance – was breathtaking. However, in high-pressure moments, he did seem to crumble, with his drop in pace, followed by his shunt on Lap 62.Valtteri Bottas – 6.5Bottas got the most out of the Alfa Romeo in qualifying, out-qualifying Zhou by over four-tenths. He had a quiet race before retiring with a hydraulic issue.

Esteban Ocon – 9Ocon was outstanding in Singapore, and deserved a big points haul. His overtakes on Alonso and Perez were stunning.Yuki Tsunoda – 6Tsunoda was on the wrong side of lady luck throughout the Singapore weekend. Given Lawson’s impressive performance, the pressure might be mounting on him.Lance Stroll – 1Stroll was unable to start Sunday’s race after his major shunt in qualifying. Even without it, it’s likely he’d have qualified last.  

For motorsport news follow TRmotosports on social media.