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By Andrew Benson
Chief F1 writer in Singapore
Sebastian Vettel finished his 13-month win burial at the Singapore Grand Prix with a victory.
The German benefited from odd Ferrari strategy to leapfrog team-mate Charles Leclerc .
Leclerc told the group over the radio it was”unfair” and it will do little to reduce tension within the group.
However, it turned out to be a much-needed success for its world winner who faced questions about his status and future and has experienced a time that is difficult, error-strewn.
The German observed Leclerc a yearlong winner in his first year at Ferrari, emerge as number one in the group as a threat to his own place, and has continued a streak of a single important driving error every three races since June last year.
But Leclerc made his feelings clear and was unhappy.
Ferrari’s strategy did secure them their first one-two since the 2017 Grand Prix and Vettel triumph as the Grand Prix in the end of August 2018.
Plus it pushed against Lewis Hamilton, who started second at the Mercedes , down to fourth, behind Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Vettel started third and his success depended on a decision by Ferrari to prevent him early, made to ensure he did not pit and come out from Nico Hulkenberg’s Renault, which had stopped for fresh tyres after a first-lap episode and was charging through the field.
Because the leaders were managing their speed to make certain they may make their pit stop it arose.
Seeing the risk from Hulkenberg on Vettel, the group pitted him on lap 19 and that he rejoined in the front of the Renault.
Ferrari pitted Leclerc, who’d led the race from the start from pole position, next time round but the speed advantage on his first lap from the pits on tyres of Vettel ensured after the 21-year-old arose out of the pits, he had been before Leclerc.
“What is hell?” Leclerc stated over the radio, almost certainly wondering why he wasn’t matched first.
His scientist told him”It had been the best we can do.”
Leclerc stated:”I just wanted to let you know my emotions. I really don’t know the undercut, to be honest. But we discuss it afterwards.”
The dual early halt for the Ferraris meant both drivers had to work their way past slower cars which hadn’t made a pit stop, also Vettel did so to better effect than Leclerc, creating a six-second lead by the time that they were conducting one-two on lap 33, just after half an hour.
The threat for Ferrari now was the threat in Hamilton, who had delayed his pit stop by six rebounds in an effort to benefit from fresher tyres at the conclusion of the race.
But Ferrari was given the laps that they had to be sure it would be made by their tyres by three phases to get a succession of incidents between markers.
In the final one, Leclerc requested for”everything” in the automobile to attack Vettel, but he was told he had to manage the motor and make the car home – code for him to hold place behind his team-mate.
As the leaders lapped 13 seconds to make sure their tyres went as needed a close second behind Leclerc was running from the first laps.
But he was undone by the strategy gamble of Ferrari.
After Vettel pitted, Hamilton stated to his team they should attempt to”undercut” Leclerc in precisely the same manner but that opportunity was eliminated when Leclerc ceased on the very next lap.
That lent attempt to assault on tyres although no option but to conduct Hamilton long to Mercedes.
However, the strategy also dropped him Verstappen’s Red Bull, along with his tyre benefit – only a small number of laps – was not enough to let him try to pass cars on a track in which a vehicle is thought to require a 2.4-second speed advantage to overtake.
Hamilton had help from team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who collaborated and had been advised to back off to impede Red Bull’s Alexander Albon, whom Hamilton would have come out behind.
But his championship lead within Bottas, that finished behind him in first time, was extended to 65 points, and it remains only a matter of time before he wins a domain.
Although his pace was not that clear due to the feature of the race behind Bottas, Albon drove a strong race at the Red Bull.
And Lando Norris worked to choose seventh and best of the remainder to McLaren, before Toro Rosso’s Pierre Gasly, Hulkenberg and the Alfa Romeo of Antonio Giovinazzi at the conclusion of a race which was soporific at front but comprised a few harum-scarum racing in the midfield from time to time.
The events that caused the safety car have been a wreck involving Haas’ Romain Grosjean and Williams’ George Russell about the exit of Turn Eight on lap 35; a retirement which cried Sergio Perez’s Racing Point on course lap 39; and a crash between Daniil Kvyat’s Toro Rosso and Kimi Raikkonen’s Alfa Romeo in the Russian dived to get a pass at Turn One on lap 50.
Russia in a week’s time. Three wins in a row; can it be made by Ferrari four? Mercedes will likely be determined to bounce back following Singapore’s self-confessed errors.
Vettel:”First of all, huge congratulations to the team – the start of the year has been difficult for us then we began to come alive and I am very proud of everyone’s work straight home. I wish to thank the fans during the last couple of weeks. We have not been the best and it is happy to have numerous letters and messages that are pleasant, and it gives me lots of strength and belief and that I put everything into the vehicle today.”
Leclerc:”Clearly it’s always tough to drop a win like this but in the end it’s a one-two for the team so I am happy for this, our first of the season. I am disappointed for me but I will come. It looks a lot more favorable than anticipated, they have [the mechanics] done an remarkable job.”
Verstappen:”The race went well. At the beginning it was slow and everybody was close we boxed and then I began to battle together with the tyres plus it turned out to be a good call. We undercut Lewis and from that point it was about managing the widescreen.”
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