Ferrari Team Principal Frederic Vasseur has heaped praise on Carlos Sainz following his victory at the Singapore Grand Prix. Sainz started the race from pole position and held the lead throughout the 62 laps, but came under pressure in the final stages when both Mercedes’ were advancing on fresher, softer tyres. The Spaniard backed up to give second-place Lando Norris DRS in order to stay ahead of George Russell, who hit the barrier on the final lap. Sainz held on for the race win and secured the first non-Red Bull victory of the season, ending its long-lasting streak of victories and claiming the second of his career and first since the 2022 British GP. "I was not focused on Red Bull, we have to do the best no matter where Red Bull is," Vasseur told media including RacingNews365. "In terms of management, Carlos did a fantastic job. From lap one he was really on the controlled side and it was a very good job."
Leclerc’s strategy
Sainz’s teammate Leclerc ended the race in fourth, having held second place in the early part of the Grand Prix. Starting on the Soft compound, Leclerc overtook Russell into the first corner, but fell back in the order when he was held in his pit box due to traffic in the pit lane. "The plan was to put Charles into P2, we had two cars on the right-hand side of the starting grid, which was an advantage," Vasseur explained. "We decided to put Charles on the Softs also to be P2. It went very well for us until the Safety Car when we had to pit. "There was traffic in the pit-lane and we lost the position, but so far it was going well."
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