Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz Breaks Red Bull’s 14 Race Win Streak

Red Bull's reign of unforgettable and consecutive Grand Prix wins appears to have ended. Carlos Sainz of Scuderia Ferrari pulled a significant feat by beating both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez after both Red Bull drivers had a disastrous drive at the Singapore Grand Prix in the Marina Bay circuit. Principal and CEO of Mercedes, Toto Wolff, told the press, "It's a breath of fresh air that we have a different winner; we have a podium without them, so you've got to take the small positives in a year of Red Bull dominance."

Sainz gave himself a necessary headstart by qualifying in pole position during qualification the day prior, with Mercedes' George Russell and Ferrari's second driver Charles Leclerc in P2 and P3, respectively. Verstappen was locked in the middle field of the race's starting grid in 11th place, while teammate Perez was caught up in P13. While Verstappen somewhat recovered during the race, jumping from P11 to a final result of P5, it was the fatal decision for the Championship-winning driver to avoid boxing in the pit lane after a safety car was deployed. 

Logan Sargeant, Williams's newest driver, crashed into the barrier and lost his front wing, forcing the safety car's deployment. Likewise to Verstappen, Perez made an impressive recovery from P13 to a final place of P8, especially considering he made contact with AlphaTauri's Yuki Tsunoda in the first few laps and received a five-second penalty for colliding with William's driver Alex Albon. However, more was needed to maintain the 14-race streak Verstappen and Perez had held until now. Principal of Red Bull, Christian Horner, told the press, "We took a strategic gamble…The Safety Car completely screwed it for us."

Sainz spent the entire race sitting relatively comfortably in the lead, with teammate Leclerc trailing behind after passing Russell. Verstappen caught up to the front pack early in the race, but the strategic decision to not box meant Russell, Lando Norris of McLaren, and Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes were able to pass him with ease. Norris remained in second place, with Hamilton and Russell unable to pass him. For the first time this season, fans saw a final podium without at least one Red Bull driver.