F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2022 result: Highlights and analysis as Perez takes the chequered flag at the Marina Bay Circuit

Author Photo
Nathan Evans
and others
• 19 min read

Red Bull's Sergio Perez put together the drive of his Formula One career so far as he took the chequered flag in an enthralling 2022 Singapore Grand Prix despite facing heavy pressure throughout from Charles Leclerc.

The race, which was originally delayed by over an hour due to extreme wet weather conditions, delivered the action as six drivers were forced to retire from the race due to tricky circumstances, whilst both Lewis Hamilton and world championship leader Max Verstappen also found themselves making costly errors.

But it was the Mexican driver who handled the conditions best, pouncing on Leclerc's slow start at the beginning of the race to assume the lead heading into the opening corner.

Despite numerous safety car interruptions - one of which may see Perez penalised by the FIA who are investigating a potential infringement after the race - the Red Bull man and Leclerc constantly pulled cleared of the pack to create a two-horse race for the victory. 

At one point Leclerc's pressure was looking likely to prove enough in forcing an overtake but instead, Perez held on for numerous laps before then finishing the race with a seven second lead over his championship rival. 

Sainz rounded out the podium spots, whilst it proved to be a phenomenal day for McLaren as Lando Norris and Daniel Ricciardo came home in P4 and P5 respectively. 

Aston Martin's Lance Stroll finished P6 - his best result of the season so far - whilst Verstappen, Sebastian Vettel, Hamilton and Pierre Gasly completed the points paying positions. 

F1 2022 Singapore Grand Prix results

Position Driver Team Points
1 Sergio Perez Red Bull 25
2 Charles Leclerc Ferrari 18
3 Carlos Sainz Ferrari 15
4 Lando Norris McLaren 12
5 Daniel Ricciardo McLaren 10
6 Lance Stroll  Aston Martin 9
7 Max Verstappen Red Bull  6
8 Sebastian Vettel Aston Martin 4
9 Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 2
10 Pierre Gasly AlphaTauri 1
11 Valtteri Bottas Alpine  
12 Kevin Magnussen Haas  
13 Mick Schumacher Alfa Romeo  
14 George Russell Mercedes  
DNF Yuki Tsunoda AlphaTauri  
DNF Esteban Ocon Alpine  
DNF Alexander Albon Williams  
DNF Nicholas Latifi Williams  
DNF Fernando Alonso Alpine  
DNF Zhou Guanyu Alfa Romeo  

Perez produces one of his greatest ever F1 performances

Coming into the weekend, much of the talk had surrounded the potential crowning of Verstappen as a two-time world champion so how sweet it most have felt for Red Bull teammate Perez to claim just his fourth race win in the sport. 

Despite falling foul of several safety car interruptions throughout the two-hour long race, the Mexican driver batted off everything that Ferrari and Leclerc could throw at him to claim just his second race win of the season after victory in Monaco.

McLaren climb up to 4th in the constructors championship

One of Formula One's most iconic teams, it's proven a difficult season for McLaren so far.

A plethora of poor race results marred their start to the season, whilst it also saw the team make the decision to cut short Ricciardo's contract by a whole season. 

But both Ricciardo and teammate Norris played the conditions perfectly around a wet Marina Bay Circuit to net the team valuable points in their battle for fourth spot in the constructors' championship against rivals Alpine. 

With the French team suffering a double DNF finish as both Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon suffered engine failures, a P4 finish for Norris and a P5 finish for Ricciardo made it a rare near-perfect weekend for McLaren this season. 

Mercedes struggle in Singapore

Heading into the weekend's action in Singapore, many had predicted a Mercedes push for their first win of the season given the way their car has performed so far this year around the tighter tracks. 

The team's excitement must have risen even further when Hamilton claimed P3 in qualifying, just five tenths off pole sitter Leclerc.

But how Formula One can be a painful sport.

After a first corner collision which saw Sainz push Hamilton wide, the British driver remained on the back foot all day. That pressure saw him collide heavily with the barrier halfway through the race before a late mistake when trying to overtake Vettel for P7 saw him understeer and allow Verstappen to take his position instead.

F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2022 live updates, highlights from Marina Bay circuit: As it happened

CHEQUERED FLAG: Perez wins the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix!!! It's a simply perfect race from Red Bull's Mexican maestro who overtook Leclerc off the start line and brought it home in style by over seven seconds. 

Lap 55: It's more calamity from Hamilton in this race. The Mercedes man has a go at Vettel but he messes up his line and Verstappen is through as a result. 

Lap 54: It's Vettel vs. Hamilton vs. Verstappen in a huge battle. 12 world championships between them, who've you got? 

Lap 52: The battle between Hamilton and Verstappen begins to intensify as the Red Bull driver gets the DRS advantage. Get the popcorn out..

Lap 51: Perez is now absolutely flying at the front of this race as he sits 2.9 seconds ahead of Leclerc. The Mexican will be investigated after the race for a potential safety car infringement by the FIA. 

Lap 49: Verstappen slides down the inside of Bottas to get up into P10 and is now right on the back of Gasly. Before I've even had to chance to post that, he's past the Frenchman and now up into P9. 

Lap 47: Under the highest of pressure, Perez finally breaks the DRS from Leclerc behind. The Ferrari man had a scruffy lap which sees him fall 1.4 seconds back from the leader. 

Lap 46: It could be a huge day for McLaren as Norris and Ricciardo sit in P4 and P5 respectively.

Lando could even be eyeing up a podium finish here as he gets close to grabbing DRS on Sainz in P3. 

Lap 45: It's touch and go what will come first here, the end of the race by laps or by time with just 23 minutes left on the race clocks.

Leclerc continues to pressurise Perez for the lead of this race. 

Lap 44: DRS is finally enabled for the first time in this race and here comes Leclerc! He's not quite close enough down the start/finish straight but he could be on the next lap. 

Lap 43: Leclerc is all over the back of Perez here and it only feels like a matter of time until there's a Ferrari leading this race. 

Lap 41: And now it's Russell with a puncture as he makes contact with Schumacher down the start/finish straight. This is absolute bedlam in Singapore, action everywhere you look.

Lap 40: It's a monumental lock up for Verstappen and he's all the way down to P8!! Wow, that was absolutely huge and he'll have to pit here. 

Lap 38: So we have just 14 cars left in the running here, the fewest in a race in 2022 so far.

This is going to be one hell of a safety car restart here given it's still quite damp and everyone is on slick tyres. 

Lap 36: More chaos now as Tsunoda smashes his AlphaTauri into the barriers and it's another full safety car. That'll bring this field extremely close together heading into the second half of this race. 

Ricciardo goes for a set of soft tyres. That's a very interesting decision! 

Lap 35: Hamilton is in and it's a long stop given his change of front wing. It's so long that Vettel jumps him in the pit as the German moves up to P8. 

Perez responds to Leclerc's stop on the previous lap with his own and he now has an 11 second lead at the front of this race. 

Lap 34: Hamilton's wing is hanging off and no doubt he'll be called with a black and orange flag shortly. It could work out though as Russell is flying on his medium tyres.

Leclerc is also in for his first set of slick tyres. 

Lap 33: It's calamity for Hamilton!!! The British driver locks up and clatters the barrier. He reverses out and rejoins slap bang in-between Norris and Verstappen. 

Lap 31: Nearly a huge crash between Verstappen and Norris as the racing resumes. The Dutchman tried to pre-empt when the green flag would be waved to get past his fellow racer but the pair nearly collide in the process. That was close!

Lap 29: And now it's Ocon who's the latest driver to retire from this race as his engine explodes. Again, it's another virtual safety car deployment. 

Lap 27: Albon gets all the way back to the pit lane but like his teammate Latifi earlier in the day, his race is also over. A double disaster for Williams in Singapore!

Back to green light racing again. 

Lap 26: There's double yellow flags in sector 2 as Albon smashes into the barriers, though he backs out and continues in this race. The virtual safety car is deployed again. 

Lap 25: Let's just say that Russell's experiment isn't going well so far, though his teammate Hamilton is piling the pressure on Sainz in P3. 

Verstappen also pumps in the fastest lap of the race so far as he closes the gap to Norris in P5. 

Lap 23: Russell is the first to gamble and he's onto a medium set of tyres. He comes out of the pit lane and he's nearly straight into the barriers with a huge drift. 

Verstappen's mechanic informs the championship leader of Russell's decision, "he's very brave" is the response. 

Back to green flag racing as Alonso's car is cleared away. 

Lap 22: Alonso is out!!! On his record breaking 350th race start in the sport, the Spaniard's engine has gone and he pulls up at the side of the track. Virtual safety car is out.

Lap 18: Verstappen has been all over the back of Alonso for a few laps now but the veteran Alpine driver simply has all the right answers as of now around this tight, twisting track. 

There's a dry line opening up on the track now as well, who'll gamble for a set of slick tyres first? 

Lap 14: Perez and Leclerc are again pulling out a hefty lead over Sainz in P3, a gap that is now up to 3.7 seconds.

Hamilton isn't too far behind the Spaniard in P4 despite his complaints about a lack of grip with his tyres. 

Lap 12: Further down the order, Verstappen gets past both Vettel and Gasly to move up to P7. Alonso up the road next for the Dutchman. 

Lap 11: The safety car is in and we're back to racing conditions. Perez bolts perfectly and stays in the lead of this race.

Lap 9: Nobody is coming into the pits to change tyres during this safety car period as Latifi is forced to retire from this race. 

Lap 8: Replays show that it was a collision between Latifi and Zhou as the Williams driver left his fellow driver absolutely no room. The safety car is now out! 

Lap 7: The black and orange flag is waved for Magnussen who now has to come into the pits and change his front wing after a collision at the start of this race.

Yellow flags in sector one as well as Zhou is out of this race. Latifi also has a puncture. 

Lap 5: Perez and Leclerc have already pulled out a huge lead in this race with Sainz in P3 already sitting over 5 seconds back from his teammate in P2. In fact, all the way down the order, the field has already broken up substantially. 

Lap 3: Verstappen gets past Magnussen and then he slides down the inside of Stroll with perfect precision to move up to P10. All the same at the front with Perez leading from Leclerc, Sainz and Hamilton. 

Vettel - who has won here five times before - has already moved up five spots to P8.

LIGHTS OUT: We're underway here at the Marina Bay Circuit as Perez gets past Leclerc to lead the Singapore Grand Prix!!! Sainz also jumps Hamilton into P3 whilst Verstappen got bogged down from the off and is down to P12.

2 mins to lights out: We're finally off for the formation lap ahead of the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix! 

Get ready for plenty of drama in this one given the conditions. Remember as well that this event has seen at least one safety car per race as more here could seriously shake up the result. 

15 minutes to lights out: The drivers are heading to the front of the grid for the national anthem. Not long left now until we go racing in Singapore. 

30 minutes to lights out: Verstappen switches from the wet tyres to intermediates but on this next warm up lap, he locks up and carries straight on down the escape road. These conditions are still very, very tricky despite the rain stopping. 

35 minutes to lights out: The pit lane is open and the cars make their way to the grid. Half the drivers have opted for full wet tyres and half have intermediates strapped on. Interesting stuff..

45 minutes to lights out: To clear up some confusion, the three hour time period in which a race has to be finished will begin when this race actually starts and not an hour before which was the original start time. 

Because the FIA moved the original start time later, the racing period will therefore now begin when we get off the start line for the start of this race. Don't worry, we should still get a full race here in Singapore. 

RACE DELAYED: The 2022 Singapore Grand Prix will get underway at 23:05 local time (14:05 GMT). That's a long delay given the track is already seemingly improving. 

15 minutes to lights out: We're still awaiting an official decision on when this race will start but it definitely won't be when it was originally scheduled at 8pm local time.

The safety car is currently wading through the puddles on the track as the FIA look to make the right decision on when we'll get underway. 

30 minutes to lights out: A delay is now imminent given the language that the FIA are using to talk about the situation. Updates to come when that happens. 

35 minutes to lights out: The FIA have delayed the start point for mechanics and teams to head to the start grid as the rain continues to fall, although it seems to now be easing slightly. 

That doesn't mean that the start of the race is delayed - although that remains likely - it in essence means that the FIA want to give themselves a little more time to see how the conditions unfold before making a decision.

Remember the Monaco Grand Prix earlier this season? That proved to be absolute chaos due to heavy rain and poor decision making from those in charge, it seems the FIA don't want a repeat of that situation here.  

45 minutes until lights out: Well the heavens have well and truly opened here in Singapore which means that there's likely to be a delay to the start of this race.

These conditions also make it very interesting in terms of strategy. If the rain stops now and the track begins to dry out before the race begins, is it a risky move onto the slicks or a safe choice of intermediates? I guess we'll see in less than an hours time.. 

1 hour until lights out: Hello and welcome to The Sporting News' live coverage of the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix.

With the threat of heavy thunderstorms looming, which driver will come out on top in what should be another enthralling race around the Marina Bay Circuit? 

What must Max Verstappen do to be crowned F1 world champion this weekend?

Red Bull's Max Verstappen can claim a second successive world championship title at the Singapore Grand Prix despite there still being five races left of the 2022 season after this weekend's race at the Marina Bay Circuit. 

In order to claim the trophy in Singapore, Verstappen must outscore Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 22 points, teammate Sergio Perez by 13 and Mercedes’s George Russell by six. 

But the Dutchman continues to underplay his chances of securing his second world title this weekend. Speaking to the official F1 website, Verstappen claimed that his chance of securing the result he needed was "a bit unrealistic". He added: "I don’t really think about it. It’s quite a long shot. I just want to enjoy the weekend and, of course, try to win it."

Singapore Grand Prix 2022 provisional starting grid

Position Driver
1 Charles Leclerc
2 Sergio Perez
3 Lewis Hamilton
4 Carlos Sainz
5 Fernando Alonso
6 Lando Norris
7 Pierre Gasly
8 Max Verstappen
9 Kevin Magnussen
10 Yuki Tsunoda
11 George Russel
12 Lance Stroll
13 Mick Schumacher
14 Sebastian Vettel
15 Zhou Guanyu
16 Valterri Bottas
17 Daniel Ricciardo
18 Esteban Ocon
19 Alex Albon
20 Nicholas Latifi

How to watch F1 in the United States

  • Race: Singapore Grand Prix
  • Date: Sunday, Oct 2.
  • TV channel: ESPN
  • Live stream: fuboTV

The ESPN family of networks will broadcast all 2022 F1 races in the United States using Sky Sports' feed, with select races airing on ABC. You can also stream Formula 1 races live in the U.S. with fuboTV, which offers a free trial.

ESPN Deportes serves as the exclusive Spanish-language home for all 2022 F1 races in the U.S.

How to watch Formula 1 in Canada

  • TV channel: TSN (English); RDS (French)
  • Live stream: TSN Direct

For fans in Canada, TSN will carry the English-language telecast of races. For those looking for the French-language broadcast, RDS will have you covered.

Races can also be streamed via TSN's streaming service, TSN Direct.

How to watch Formula 1 in the UK

  • TV channel: Sky Sports F1
  • Live stream: NOW TV

Viewers in the United Kingdom can catch all F1 action on Sky Sports F1, the dedicated F1 channel. For viewers planning to live stream F1 in 2022, you can purchase a Sky Sports Pass on NOW TV.

How to watch Formula 1 in Australia

  • TV channel: Fox Sports; Channel 10
  • Live stream: Kayo

Fox Sports will carry all races in Australia, with Channel 10 broadcasting the Australian GP.

Author(s)
Nathan Evans Photo
Nathan Evans

Nathan Evans is a data editor for The Sporting News.