Monaco’s Charles Leclerc finished second in the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday, October 11, claiming his first podium since the Belgian Grand Prix and giving Ferrari an uplifting result at Marina Bay.
Max Verstappen won the night race for Red Bull, his first victory at the circuit, on his 250th Grand Prix start. Leclerc crossed the line 7.3 seconds behind. Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli was third, 24.6 seconds back, and the championship leader can now clinch the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on October 23 to 25.
Leclerc started second on the grid, and made a strong getaway that looked to threaten Verstappen into the first corner. The Dutchman cut across to take the lead, leaving Leclerc to sit close behind for the opening stint. He stayed within a second of the Red Bull for much of that period before his tyres began to fade.
Ferrari then tried something different. Leclerc made two stops, taking on fresh tyres under a Virtual Safety Car triggered by Lance Stroll’s stricken Aston Martin, which helped him get back ahead of team-mate Lewis Hamilton. In the closing laps he moved clear and kept second place, though he could not close the gap on Verstappen. Hamilton, who stayed out on one stop, dropped to sixth and apologised to the team over the radio.
“I gave it all and I don’t regret anything,” Leclerc told Formula 1’s website. “At least we tried something different.” He admitted Ferrari “just weren’t fast enough” over the radio, and said the team still needs to bring new parts to the car, though he felt they had “good pace overall”.
It capped a good weekend for the Monegasque, who also took third in Saturday’s sprint. Singapore’s results have been kind to him before, as he has finished second here in 2019 and 2022 too.