Lewis took his 60th F1 victory- his third in Singapore and seventh of the 2017 season. Valtteri finished in P3, his best result in Singapore and his tenth podium of the season. Lewis completed the fastest lap of the Grand Prix in the first ever wet night race. Today's result is 73rd F1 win for the Silver Arrows One and the ninth of the 2017 season.
Lewis (263 points) extends the lead in the Drivers' Championship to 28 points from Sebastian Vettel (235 points), with Valtteri (212 points) a further 23 points behind in P3.
Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (475 points) lead Ferrari (373 points) by 102 points in the Constructors' Championship.
Toto Wolff: We woke up this morning talking about little else than damage limitation; we leave Singapore this evening with a bigger lead in both championships. This was one of those days that reminds you what an unbelievable sport motor racing can be. And reminds you, too, that the points are only scored on Sunday. Of course, it goes without saying that we got a big slice of luck today. Not only did we avoid the chaos at Turn One but we also escaped without damage to both cars. After that, though, we had to make the most of the opportunity that had been presented to us - and out-race a very fast Red Bull. Lewis did that brilliantly, showing good race pace on both types of tyre, while Valtteri picked his way back through the field to the podium. So the emotions tonight are very different to what we felt 24 hours ago - but this result doesn't change a thing in the big picture. If anything, it's a stark reminder that there are six more opportunities for the luck to go against us this season, just as it happened to Ferrari today. We will celebrate our result this evening but, after that, it will be full focus on the next challenges ahead.
James Allison: In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one. Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport - and that you never know what might happen. After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift. But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn't be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it. This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race.
Christian Horner, Team Principal: "It was enormously frustrating to lose Max at the start of the race, in an incident that quite clearly had nothing to do with him. Sebastian moving to the left, Kimi moving to the right sandwiched Max and there was nowhere for him to go. Then, after the re-start, Daniel started to lose an awful lot of gearbox oil, which created a lot of problems with oil pressure, and we were feeling that it was looking unlikely that Daniel would get to the end of the race. However he managed to nurse the gearbox of the car incredibly well for three-quarters of the grand prix, and though able to hold off any threat from behind from Valtteri, unfortunately he could not attack Lewis ahead. So it has been another second place for us in Singapore, but a strong podium to take away considering how things were looking after the first 15 laps."
That was very disappointing and it was definitely not the result we were expecting. But it doesn't mean that the battle is all over, just that it has become more difficult. We are very disappointed for our fans, but we will be back. We proved that we have an excellent car and two great drivers. All of us, those here in Singapore today and those working back in Maranello, we all have the Prancing Horse stamped on our hearts and we guarantee that we will be fighting right to the final corner of the very last Grand Prix of the year.
Sahara Force India scored 11 points in today's Singapore Grand Prix as Sergio Perez raced to fifth place ahead of Esteban Ocon in tenth.
Robert Fernley: "We made the most of an incident-filled race to score points with both cars. We started on the full wet tyres, which were the correct tyres for the early laps, but the rain eased off sooner than expected and the track came towards the cars on intermediates. We had to react quickly to the various safety car periods and the pit wall made the right calls to ensure we were always on the right tyres for the conditions. We lost out during the second safety car period, which cost both drivers track position - Esteban more so than Sergio. From there both drivers recovered ground, but it wasn't easy to overtake. Sergio had a long battle with Sainz and Esteban was fighting with Magnussen and Grosjean. Considering where we started the race, to come away with eleven points is a very satisfactory end to the weekend."
Lance Stroll finished eighth with Felipe Massa 11th in the Singapore Grand Prix. Rain started to fall shortly before the race, making this year's Singapore GP Formula One's first ever wet night race. Lance started on the intermediate tyre with Felipe opting to start on the extreme wet.
On lap 1, Lance jumped to P13 with Felipe P14 following a multi-car incident at the start, resulting in the first of several safety car periods. Lance made his one-stop onto ultrasoft tyres on lap 26, driving a solid race up to P8 on his debut at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Felipe had to switch to intermediates before moving to dry tyres, but was one of the first to switch to the ultrasofts, re-joining in P14. Felipe made the most of a late safety car period, where he pitted for a fresh set of ultrasoft tyres, and worked his way up to P11. Felipe is 11th in the Drivers' Championship, ahead of Lance in 12th. The team remains fifth in the Constructors' Championship with 59 points.
Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer: After a poor qualifying it's great to come out of another race with some points on the board. It was looking like it would be an interesting race as soon as the rain came in. We have never had rain for the race in Singapore and it was remarkably persistent. Lance chose to start on the intermediate tyre in P18 with Felipe opting for the extreme wet in P17. Unfortunately, along with a few other drivers, the full wet turned out to be the wrong choice. There was a big incident at the start which helped us gain some places. In Lance's case he drove a great race. He was one of the earliest to stop for dry tyres and he had good pace on the ultrasoft, taking the advantages at every stage. He put up a good defence as well, particularly towards the end, and managed to get an excellent eighth place for his first finish in Singapore; one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar. Congratulations to him for achieving that, he'll be very proud of himself for holding steady and driving so well throughout the whole two-hour race. On Felipe's side, he drove well throughout the whole evening, but really the mistake was made at the beginning and it was impossible to unwind from that extra stop that we needed to make. We hoped to jump straight from the full wet to the dry tyre, which is why we tried to stay out longer in the first stint, but we missed that window by a few laps and he had to make an extra stop for intermediates, which really ruined his race. Nevertheless, it was a good drive from P17 to P11, to finish just outside the points. Congratulations to the team as well, to bring two cars home is a really important achievement in a race of such high attrition. Our reliability was good and we collected some valuable points in the Championship.
Stoffel Vandoorne finished seventh and brought home six valuable world championship points for McLaren Honda at the end of a long and chaotic Singapore Grand Prix.
The race was started in rainy conditions, which contributed to a Turn One accident that left a fast-starting Fernando Alonso with significant damage to his car. Despite soldiering on for a couple of laps, the car was too badly damaged to continue and Fernando was forced to retire.
Stoffel took avoiding action to miss the first-lap crash, but was able to consolidate his position inside the top 10. He always looked competitive on-track whether running in the wet or dry, and was set to challenge for the top six until being delayed during a slow pit-stop on lap 27. Seventh was a solid reward for both his and the team's efforts all weekend.
Eric Boullier: "When the heavens opened shortly before the start, we knew this was going to be an exciting and unpredictable Singapore Grand Prix - and so it proved to be.
"Through it all, Stoffel finished a magnificent seventh, battling throughout and really maximising the potential of our car whether he was running Full Wets, Intermediates or Option tyres.
"We think sixth was within our reach had he not been delayed at his second pit-stop. The front jack failed to engage properly, which meant the left-front wheel wasn't lifted off the floor properly, which resulted in a slow removal. That delay meant he wasn't able to close on [Jolyon] Palmer despite a spirited chase.
"It was a phenomenally disappointing day for Fernando. He'd made a brilliant start in the wet conditions but was harpooned by Verstappen's car at Turn One. It was a significant impact, one which tore open the bodywork, damaged the floor and, ultimately, holed an exhaust.
"We were able to assess the initial damage as he passed through the pits behind the Safety Car, but, at racing speeds, it became immediately apparent that he couldn't continue. We had to retire the car shortly afterwards.
"Despite failing to get one car to the finish through no fault of our own, this was a positive day for the whole team. We may not be as competitive around the fast sweeps of Malaysia, but this result will serve to remind us all that we can race hard at the front whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself."
Yusuke Hasegawa: "The heavy rain that began just before the start made today's race enormously difficult for us.
"Although Fernando made a great start, he was involved in an unfortunate incident at Turn One and ultimately retired on lap eight due to the inflicted damage. I think he would have been able to race with the frontrunners if he had continued, so it was very disappointing for everyone in the team.
"Stoffel's pace was competitive and he drove incredibly well, including overtaking his rivals on a track that is notoriously hard to pass on. He eventually crossed the line in seventh, his best result of the season, taking more precious points for the team. He did a great job today.
"Although we had the package to finish today's race in a better position without incident, it was still a positive step forward for the team that we were able to bring one car home in the top 10."
Franz Tost (Team Principal): "What a fantastic result today, we've equaled our best race result since our win in Monza 2008, another P4! Carlos did a fantastic job, keeping everything under control in a difficult situation at the beginning of the race, going through a long and demanding race and bringing home a fourth position finish and 12 points. The team also did a fantastic job in all aspects. As for our decision to go on supersofts, we did this because we thought this would have given us an advantage towards the end of the race. However, with the Safety Car and tyre warm-up, this call was not without its challenges, but it worked out in the end. The mechanics were very good, delivering fast pit stops, and I'd like to thank the whole team because we've all worked very hard for this fantastic result. We've taken our chances today, been aggressive and not been afraid to try something different and this has paid off here. This now makes us all very happy and in a very positive mood before travelling to the next Grand Prix in Malaysia in two weeks' time."
The 10th running of the Singapore Grand Prix Sunday night at Marina Bay Street Circuit began with a bang as a multicar accident at the start jettisoned both the Scuderia Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, along with the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, to the garage before completing a single lap.
The lights-out chaos allowed Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen to vault from his 16th-place starting spot to 10th while teammate Romain Grosjean held steady in 15th, wheeling his Haas VF-17 unscathed through the debris field. Grosjean rallied to come home ninth and bring in valuable points while Magnussen suffered a DNF (Did Not Finish) and was classified 13th.
Even before the race went green, a dicey start was a foregone conclusion as rain enveloped the 5.065-kilometer (3.147-mile), 23-turn track, marking the first Singapore Grand Prix to be run in the wet.
Magnussen opted to start on the Pirelli Cinturato Blue full wet tire while Grosjean went with the Cinturato Green intermediate tire.
With the safety car pacing the field for the race's first four laps after the contretemps at the start, no one pitted for slicks as the racing surface remained wet, even as the rain abated. But as the race wore on, the track began to dry, forcing drivers and teams to debate when it was time to ditch the rain tires for slicks.
But as that decision was being weighed, the racing continued amid the treacherous conditions.
This was on display on lap 11 when Magnussen was being pursued by the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat passed Magnussen for 10th off turn five, only to return the position to Magnussen when he aquaplaned going into turn seven, nosing into the barrier.
The resulting safety car period allowed Magnussen to duck into the pits and swap his full wet tires for a new set of intermediates. Grosjean, meanwhile, stayed out, picking up four spots to climb to 11th.
When the race went back to green on lap 15, Grosjean was 11th and Magnussen was 14th.
As a dry groove developed and the rooster tails from cars dissipated, the intermediate tires became more of a hindrance than a help. Nonetheless, on-track battles continued, with Grosjean breaking into the top-10 for the first time on lap 16 after passing the Williams of Felipe Massa. Then Magnussen put on a passing performance, getting past Massa on lap 16 and the Force India of Esteban Ocon on lap 17 to rise to 11th.
Magnussen was the first driver in the race to pit for slicks. He came to the service of his crew on lap 24, whereupon new Pirelli P Zero Purple ultrasoft tires – the grippiest compound in Pirelli's lineup – were installed on his Haas VF-17.
The rest of the Formula One paddock paid close attention to Magnussen's lap times, as he quickly began setting the race's fastest laps. The initial strategy call by Haas F1 Team was now being emulated up and down the pit lane, with teams calling their drivers to the pits for slicks.
Magnussen's quick laps allowed him to leapfrog Grosjean for 10th on lap 28 after Grosjean also made the switch to ultrasofts, rejoining the race in 11th.
Grosjean made his way past Magnussen on lap 33 to take 10th, allowing Ocon to also seize the opportunity to advance, picking up 11th on the following lap as Magnussen fell to 12th.
The safety car emerged again on lap 38 when Marcus Ericsson spun his Sauber at Anderson Bridge. Magnussen took advantage of the opportunity and pitted for a new set of ultrasofts. Grosjean stayed out, but with Nico Hulkenberg pitting his Renault, it allowed Grosjean to claim ninth.
The race returned to green for the final time on lap 42, and with all the delays, the Singapore Grand Prix became a timed event, hitting its two-hour limit instead of its 61-lap distance.
Grosjean began the final charge to the finish in ninth while Magnussen was 13th. The final 30 minutes of the race saw Grosjean maintain his position to earn his seventh point-paying result of the season. Magnussen, meanwhile, rose to 12th when Hulkenberg was forced to retire his racecar with 13 minutes left in the contest, but the position was eventually relinquished when Magnussen was called to the garage with 10 minutes remaining due to an electrical issue on his Haas VF-17.
Winning the Singapore Grand Prix was three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver scored his 60th career Formula One victory, his seventh of the season and third in a row. It was his third Singapore Grand Prix win, second only to Vettel's four. Hamilton's margin of victory was a stout 4.507 seconds over Red Bull's Daniel Ricciardo. The triumph, combined with Vettel's DNF, allowed Hamilton to open up a substantial 28-point advantage in the championship standings after coming into Singapore with just a three-point lead over Vettel.
Fourteen rounds into the 20-race Formula One schedule, Haas F1 Team is eighth in the constructors standings with 37 points, 20 points ahead of ninth-place McLaren and five points behind seventh-place Renault and 15 points arrears sixth-place Toro Rosso. Grosjean and Magnussen remain 13th and 14th, respectively, in the championship driver standings. Grosjean has 26 points and Magnussen has 11 points.
Six races are left in the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, with the next event coming Sept. 29-Oct. 1 with the Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit.
Guenther Steiner: "To go away with two points here, for sure we worked hard for it, but we didn't expect it. All in all, we got a bit of a good end to this. On the other side, we're now eighth in the championship and not seventh. Coming in here we knew these things could happen, but we will fight hard to get back to seventh. Our drivers, our whole team, did a good job. There was nothing wrong with our strategy today. We always reacted very well. Both drivers kept the cars safe. Kevin would've brought his home but he had an electronics issue. We'll investigate that and why we had to shut it down. Romain did a good job and came home ninth with two points. We keep on going."
Renault Sport Formula One Team moved ahead to seventh position in the Constructors' Championship and driver Jolyon Palmer posted his F1 career best result finishing sixth at the Singapore Grand Prix. The first wet evening race in Formula 1 was full of drama and Jolyon drove a solid race, capitalized on the wet conditions and safety cars to earn a valuable eight points for the team. After an incident involving cars ahead at the start of the race, driver Nico Hulkenberg swiftly avoided the drama and advanced four positions in the first lap. Fortunes didn't favour Nico as his car had an oil leak and was force to retire for preventative measures before the end of the race.
Nico started the race from P7 on a new set of Wet (blue) Pirelli tyres which he ran for twelve laps before switching to Intermediates (green) under the safety car. He pitted again under another safety car, this time switching to Ultrasoft (purple) tyres.
Jolyon started the race from P11 on a set of Wet tyres, pitting after eleven laps under a safety car, switching to Intermediates which he ran for twenty-nine laps before pitting for a set of Ultrasofts.
Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director: "Tonight's race was exciting and full of action with the rain and many safety cars - as it's often the case in Singapore. We walk away with mixed feelings. On a positive note, Jolyon was able to get into the points for the first time this season and achieve his best result ever in F1. Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many. He was able to help the team in its progress for the Constructors' Championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position. The final races are well suited for our cars and our target remains unchanged.
On the other hand, we feel very sorry and I want to apologize to Nico for having to retire his car. We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn't have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures."
The Sauber F1 Team finished the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Street Circuit in P12 (Pascal Wehrlein). Marcus Ericsson did not see the chequered flag after spinning out of the race on lap 35. It was the first race in the history of the Singapore Grand Prix to be driven in wet conditions.
Frederic Vasseur, Team Principal: "It was a tough race for us. Both of the drivers were on wet tyres when we split their strategies - Marcus changed to intermediates. Pascal was still running on wet tyres, as we were waiting to put him onto the dry compound. Unfortunately, the track did not dry up as quickly as we expected it to. He lost a lot of time due to several blue flags later on during the race. During Marcus' pitstop, there was a system error, which led to miscommunication. Overall, a very disappointing race for us. The procedures have to be revised to avoid repeating such situations in the future."
For the first time in its history, the Singapore Grand Prix was a wet race, with the top six starting on the intermediate tyre and a mixture of wets and intermediates further down the grid.
There were two safety car periods in the first half of the race, with the track still wet, which were used by some drivers to change from wet to intermediate tyres, while Daniel Ricciardo, who had started on intermediates, opted to change to a fresh set of intermediates. The Red Bull driver finished the grand prix second, behind the Mercedes of race winner Lewis Hamilton.
The track eventually dried out after the restart, with the first drivers to change onto slicks being Haas's Kevin Magnussen and Williams's Felipe Massa on lap 24. Once the crossover point had been reached, all the frontrunners switched to slicks with most opting for the ultrasoft, although Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz went for supersofts - claiming his best career result of fourth at the finish. Jolyon Palmer (Renault) and Stoffel Vandoorne (McLaren) also took their best results in Formula 1, while Hamilton set a new race lap record of 1m45.008s on the ultrasoft: more than two seconds faster than last year's fastest race lap.
Mario Isola: "The start of the race was unknown territory for everyone, with no wet weather running during the weekend up to now. This tactical uncertainty was compounded by the first of three safety cars, immediately after the start, meaning that strategy was mainly a question of reacting to changing circumstances on track. Intermediates were generally the best choice for the conditions during the first half of the race, although the full wets also performed strongly on a track that was only drying out very slowly. Once the surface was dry, track evolution happened quickly, with everyone apart from Carlos Sainz - who drove a fantastic race - opting to finish the grand prix on the ultrasoft."
