#and a ferrari driver leaving for another team at monza? WOULD NEVER BE ALLOWED TO HAPPEN

[hyacinthsdiamonds]

Honestly don't know why Williams didn't just take Carlos for the reminder of the season, considering everyone and their mother have had to hear how much James wanted/wants him

[f1version]

26 BIRTHDAY KISSES ★ CL16

pairing: charles leclerc x gf!reader ( she/her )

summary: 26th birthday, 26 pictures of you and Charles kissing. A kiss for each year.

notes: i’m back from my birthday trip!! i wrote this birthday special in like 30 minutes and it’s still charles’ birthday in a couple of places so… i’m not exactly late! enjoy <3

26 KISSES: A GALLERY

By your beautiful girlfriend, in collaboration with a lot of people but mainly Joris and ourselves.

1. DRUNK DANCING: A month after we got together, we were at Arthur’s 18th birthday. We got drunk, singing and dancing to the worst playlist in existence (Lorenzo’s) and, somehow, Arthur got to capture this moment I barely even remember.

Taken by Arthur Leclerc, 2018

2. AUGUST 2019: Summer break, so sweet so loving. You made me promise that if you jumped off first, I would jump too. It took me fifteen minutes to follow after you. Also your kisses were incredibly salty.

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2019

3. THE MONZA INCIDENT: I had red lipstick the night you won in Monza, you told me it looked pretty, I asked you to kiss me, you did. Fast forward 8 minutes it was all smudged over your lips, you were 10 minutes late to the post-race conference, and Sylvia almost banned me that night. (I’m still kind of banned from your driver’s room)

Taken by Charles Leclerc, 2019

4. UNDER THE COVERS: 2020, what a crazy year. This one was taken the day we decided to finish moving in together. You were so excited, wanted everything to be perfect. Today I can say it is.

Taken by Me, 2020

5. WORDS: We were spending Christmas by ourselves, we face-timed our families, had dinner and watched movies. You gifted me three beautiful words I, of course, said back… and we also got a puppy!

Taken by Charles’ phone timer, 2020

6. OCEAN BREZEE: Just a small escapade to take a breath. You were so cuddly that day, Joris was so done with you (he still took the pic though)

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2021

7. CUTE OR HOT: I just wanted a cute morning selfie but, because of you, we ended up in a…promising mood. It was intense that’s all I have to say!

Taken by Me, 2021

8. KISS KISS KISS: 24th birthday, 24 kisses. This kind of became a tradition, let me know if you still want them this year!

Taken by Me, 2021

9. DRUNK AF: How did we got so drunk? Ask Pierre, he was the one hosting. Either way we got another amazing photo of us drunk-kissing!!!

Taken by Pierre Gasly, 2021

10. UNDER THE SEA: I’m just going to say that you and your ‘photo ideas 📸’ folder are attached by the hip. I personally love this one (even if it took half an hour to take)

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2021

11. NEW YORK: Thought you could scape this one? Never! Arthur and I didn’t spend a week listening to your complaining for nothing, babe. You must admit that this kiss was magical, everything was so pretty that day. And then it started snowing!

Taken by Arthur Leclerc, 2021

12. EXPOSED: Remember how our amazing soft launch got ruined by our trip to Ibiza? Well, here it is, the image we couldn’t stop laughing at when it came out, we really thought we were sneaky.

Taken by unknown, 2022

13. HARD LAUNCH: A week later we were kissing on live TV. It’s one of my favorite memories, I couldn’t stop smiling.

Taken by F1 TV, 2022

14. BACK KISSES: Just a picture of the morning after I learned that you can convince anyone, even the CEO of Ferrari, to allow you to leave sponsor events early. I really don’t know if you knew those kisses were there, but I woke up to this, took a picture and then left you with them until we took a shower.

Taken by Me, 2022

15. SPONSORED BY AIRMAX: That time your team forgot to book us a flight and you had to ask Lando to ask Daniel to ask Max if we could go back to Monaco with them. I’ve never seen Max talk so much, Daniel laugh so loud or Lando taking so many pictures. He even asked to take one of us, here it is:

Taken by Lando Norris, 2022

16. SIXTEEN: I bet you thought this one would have something to do with racing. Number 16. Sorry to disappoint but it’s our beautiful puppy…Sixteen! I’m not gonna lie, I still hate you for persuading me into that name. Anyways if you kiss the dog you kiss the mom!!

Taken by Me, 2022

17. 25 KISSES: Again, tell me if you want those 26 kisses this year. Look at us last year!

Taken by Me, 2022

18. NEW YEAR, SAME LOVE: Sometimes the world feels unreal when I’m with you, this was one of those days. I felt in another reality, the world slowed down, it was just you and me. I remember thinking “I fell in love with the right person” and then you kissed me.

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2022

19. BLACK SUIT: Remember when your fans thanked me for your “new” outfits? They repeated it was the girlfriend effect, you couldn’t stop talking about how stylish you are with or without me!

Taken by Me, 2023

20. PHOTOSHOOT: You got Joris to take these shots just because you wanted a new wallpaper. I thought it was silly, until one day all of them were hanging around our home. You are the best thing that’s ever happened to me, Charlie.

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2023

21. FIVE STAR CHEFS: Not much to say, just sorry for being so distracting and thank you for the amazing (stolen from Ferrari) dinner babe!

Taken by Charles’ phone timer, 2023

22. RED LIGHTS: This year’s addition to our drunk-kissing collection. I remember you drowning shots with Carlos and Pierre, asking me to dance with you, absolutely failing at that, and then kissing me. After that there’s blurry ferrari red, giggles and a hot bath.

Taken by Andrea Ferrari, 2023

23. LAZY IN BED: Wonderful lazy days by the ocean, that’s how we spent the summer break. That morning in particular you didn’t want to get up, basically gluing me to bed. We got up at 1pm.

Taken by Me, 2023

24. JUST ONE QUESTION: Can I drive the purosangue now? Please please please

Taken by Me, 2023

20. LOVER: This day I woke up thinking about those dreams we talk about all the time, you even remembered me a couple of them throughout the day. Charlie, I do want to do this for the rest of our lives, never forget it <3

Taken by Arthur Leclerc, 2023

26. TWENTY-SIX: We are just 26 but I hope our story keeps on writing itself. I love you, these have been the happiest 6 years of my life. Happy birthday bébé ❤️

Taken by Joris Trouche, 2023

[torentialtribute]

Formula One 2019 season preview – is this Lewis Hamilton’s toughest Mercedes title defence yet?

Lewis Hamilton will be looking at six of the best as he prepares to defend his drivers championship ahead of the new Formula One season.

The five-time world champion is again favorite to leave his rivals for dust over the 21-race campaign that starts at this weekend's Australian Grand Prix and ends at the Abu Dhabi desert in December

But there are stories all over the 10-team, 20-driver grid and ahead of another season Sportsmail's reporters look at the key questions.

     Lewis Hamilton won his fifth world championship at the Mexican Grand Prix in 2018

Will Hamilton facing his toughest fight yet at Mercedes to defend his title?

JONATHAN McEVOY: From outside the team, yes, but there will be no repeat of the internal battle with Nico Rosberg that needled him so much. Ferrari seem strong and Red Bull will develop well under design guru Adrian Newey’s hand. It should be a good fight.

JOE DOWNES: Yes, because for the first time his best may not be good enough. Ferrari have the quicker car again, but will have learned from last year's strategy and development blunders and appear more united under Mattia Binotto.

DAN RIPLEY: The last couple or seasons have seen Ferrari and the Mercedes front row monopoly, and now they may have the edge. Hamilton is in his toughest campaign since his first season at Mercedes but he will still be at the front.

     Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes appeared to be slightly off the pace of Ferrari in winter testing

MATTHEW SMITH: Every winter we suggest the rest of the field are catching up with Mercedes, and every season the German steamroller carries on regardless. Hamilton has his ruthless eye on history and, as much as the fan in me wants to see a tight title battle, championship No. 6 looks to be on the cards.

NATHAN SALT: I don't think so. While Ferrari have been smart in recruiting Charles Leclerc, he lacks experience competing at the front of the grid. Sebastian Vettel remains his biggest threat but errors appear to be creeping into German's drives if last season is anything to go by.

How under threat is Bottas at Mercedes given how much of a team player is he?

JM: Bottas should not be there now. He clearly failed last year. But he suits Lewis and makes for an easy life. Just allowing for that I think he needs to buck up if he is to survive the cut again.

JD: He insists he can beat Lewis. He can't. One-year rolling deal proves he's simply keeping the second seat warm and they're queuing up to take it. Esteban Ocon is first in line.

     Valtteri Bottles went the whole of the 2018 season without a win for title winners Mercedes

F1 2019 CALENDAR

Mar 17: Australia (Melbourne)

Mar 31: Bahrain (Sakhir)

Apr 14: China (Shanghai)

Apr 28: Azerbaijan (Baku)

May 12: Spain (Catalunya)

May 26: Monaco (Monte Carlo)

Jun 9: Canada (Montreal)

Jun 23: France (Paul Ricard)

Jun 30: Austria (Spielberg)

Jul 14: Great Britain (Silverstone)

Jul 28: Germany ( Hockenheim)

Aug 4: Hungary (Budapest)

Sep 1: Belgium (Spa)

Sep 8: Italy (Monza)

Sep 22: Singapore (Marina Bay)

Sep 29: Russia (Sochi)

Oct 13 : Japan (Suzuka)

Oct 27: Mexico (Mexico City)

Nov 3: United States (Texas)

Nov 17: Brazil (Sao Paulo)

Dec 1: Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)

DR: Strangely I consider his role close to perfect. Quick enough to bag points but passive enough to never rock the boat and hurt Hamilton's season the way Nico Rosberg used to. Why would Mercedes risk losing that dynamic by drafting in Ocon for instance, who loves a squabble with a fellow driver (ask Perez or Verstappen)?

MS: Bottas is in an odd situation – he's in this race seat for what he brings to his team mate, rather than what he can provide as a driver in his own right. I feel Mercedes wants to bring Esteban Ocon into the No 2 seat next season, unless the Finn produces a marked improvement on last season.

NS: In short: not much. Hamilton must love having a "wingman" like Bottas with him at Mercedes. The Finn took issue with Toto Wolff's use of that in Hungary last season but it is true. Unlike predecessor Nico Rosberg, Hamilton can rest easy knowing Bottas will never put himself above the team. Bring back Nico.

How much of a 'plague could Charles Leclerc be to Sebastian Vettel's title challenge?

JM: Vettel has been given a public indication he is No 1. It remains to be seen how Leclerc operates in the more rarefied air of Ferrari – a different proposition from Sauber. I think Vettel, refreshed, will win the internal battle.

JD: This will determine the championship. Ferrari have their stall out early, insisting they will favor Vettel. The early races suit Ferrari and so, if Leclerc makes the better start, Binotto will have an almighty headache. The 21-year-old is a future world champion and subservience does not make a champion. Just ask Seb.

DR: I'm convinced he has brought in to replace Vettel and not Raikkonen, with the German instead of taking Kimi's No 2 spot in the long run. Not that Ferrari will admit that. To me, Ferrari lost faith with Vettel and his endless mistakes last term and have already made their move to start building the team around the Monegasque.

     Sebastian Vettel (left) has a new Ferrari team mate in Charles Leclerc (second right)

MS: I think this could be the story of the season. Leclerc was electrifying at times in a poor Sauber car last season. If he hits the ground running, I can't see how Ferrari can force him to play second fiddle to Vettel, especially if the German does not pick up from his 2018 slump. Don't rule out a Leclerc title bid.

NS: A real plague. You would be hard pressed to find an F1 fan who was not impressed why Leclerc's rookie season with Sauber. He regularly exceeded expectations in qualifying and with a far more competitive car at his disposal this season.

Will Max Verstappen finally have the machinery to launch a bid for the title?

JM : We'll soon find out. But from testing they look third-quickest. The Honda engine is three per cent down on the Mercedes. No.

JD: He's better placed without Ricciardo and Renault but, while Honda power should see them close the gap, boss Christian Horner admits reliability is a big unknown in the first year of their partnership. Like last year, expect the odd win and the odd blow up (from car and driver).

DR: Status quo I'm afraid for Max. Another great Red Bull chassis which just lacks the power unit punch behind it to trouble Mercedes and Ferrari on a regular basis. Still, it's good to see Honda looking like they've caught up a bit. F1 needs them to succeed.

     Max Verstappen may be restricted to another year of trying to pick up just a few race wins

MS: If engine suppliers Honda go from their embarrassment with McLaren to title winners at Red Bull, that would be among the greatest turnarounds in F1 history. Verstappen seems to finally have his attitude in the right place (the Ocon confrontation was the exception rather than the rule). He is ready but are Red Bull?

NS: Getting away on record last August pinpointing 2020 as his best chance of a maiden world title but he is not a character happy to watch his rivals coast to the world championship. He's managed to weed out some silly errors from his drives and I just hope he's provided with a competitive – and ultimately reliable – car.

What chance do McLaren have a five-year stage drought ending?

JM: McLaren may luck in a stage but that's their only chance, I fear. They will be better than last season but that's not saying much.

JD: Unless there's another crazy race in Baku, no chance. They're finally turning the corner, but just scoring points is tough given how tightly packed the midfield is.

DR: McLaren are heading in the right direction at long last but they look only capable of marginal gains this term. They could benefit from a Wacky Races type GP to land a stage but they should focus more on beating Renault for now.

     McLaren enjoyed a productive winter testing program but still lay behind the front teams

MS: Unless they've been holding back in testing, regular top-down 10 finishes are more likely to be the goal unless they get a lucky break in a one-off race. Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz are both quick, but making the top three is a huge ask.

NS: Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull possess such an advantage over their rivals it looks increasingly difficult for McLaren to bridge the gap after such a poor season. I expect a much-improved season but it is too soon for an end to the stage drought.

Which new Briton on the block is the best set for his rookie year?

JM : George Russell – a bit older and wiser than Lando Norris, perhaps.

JD: Norris has the best car and will score most points, but George Russell will emerge with most credit. So terrible is his Williams that, to a large extent, the pressure is off. Expect him to outperform teammate Robert Kubica.

DR: Norris could end up getting a beat by Sainz and still have the possibility of claiming a productive first year. For Russell, hey, has no measure. Beat Kubica, or even thrash him, and he's only seen off a severely hampered team mate. No-win situation really for George, and that's before we mention the mess Williams are in!

     Lando Norris (left) and George Russell make their F1 debuts after impressing in F2

MS: George Russell beat Lando Norris to the F2 title last year and is just as talented as the more heralded 18-year-old, perhaps because he is a more reserved character. However he may be down by being in a poor Williams. I'd be back Norris as the more likely at this stage.

NS: I just cannot bring myself to go on record and put Williams as the best in anything right now – apologies George Russell. The only way appears to be up for McLaren and Norris has shown his qualities in F2 – he's ready to make the step up.

Whose 'make or break' year is bigger at Renault – Ricciardo or Hulkenberg?

JM: Both are mid-tablers. Neither, for their commendable talents, is in demand by a top team. I think Ricciardo will see out his Renault contract and then walk away. He is building a property portfolio in America and that may grow into a preoccupation.

JD: Ricciardo. Must pounce whenever the big three teams fail and finish best of the rest – seventh – in drivers' standings to prove Renault's project is on track and his move from Red Bull was shrewd not stupid.

DR: This is it now for Hulkenberg. The chance to prove he can take on the big names in F1 – and maybe, just maybe land that overdue stage and finally catch the eye of a big team. Ricciardo has at least two years to get it right at Renault but time is running out for Nico.

     Nico Hulkenberg (left) and Daniel Ricciardo will battle each other as Renault team-mates

MS: Ricciardo. The risk the Australian has tasks is career defining. If he can drag Renault onto the stage then the deserves to be seen as one of the great drivers of the 21st century. If not, then he is set for obscurity.

NS: I am not convinced F1 fans are expecting much more from Hulkenberg. He's legally competent and has out-qualified both Jolyon Palmer and Carlos Sainz in his last two seasons. Ricciardo was in a conversation for a Ferrari or Mercedes spot at one time and he will be expected to carve himself out as the side's undisputed No. 1.

How does Kubica make a success of his comeback at a struggling Williams?

JM: Just being on the grid is a victory. What a fabulous recovery. Beating his Williams team-mate Russell would do.

JD: Needs a miracle, but that's his business. Beating Russell and a double-figure points haul would represent a stellar comeback season. Don't think he will do either.

DR: I just want Kubica to be competitive, and that means keeping Russell honest and bagging a few points over the season. I'm not expecting much given he has effectively driven one handed.

     Many Robert One fans will be hoping Robert Kubica can make a success of his comeback after a serious hand injury saw him drop out of the sport in 2011

MS: Growing up, Kubica was my favorite driver. I loved his attacking skill, his bravery, the underdog edge that came with driving for BMW rather than a more fashionable team. But the numbers don't lie – he is well off the pace. He needs time, reliability and consistency – and in a troubled team, I really fear this could turn into a nightmare.

NS: Much depends on the car he is provided with. Williams have bone dismal at best recently and have bone certainties to prop up the grid. Out performing rookie team mate George Russell wants to be the minimum he will expect of himself.

What are you tipping for a big surprise this season?

JM: I don't know what it will be but it may come this weekend in Melbourne. This place can throw up strange results.

JD: Alfa Romeo. Closer partnership with Ferrari, aggressive car design which looked quick through the corners in testing and the Kimi factor. A dangerous unknown quantity – how very Alfa.

     Veteran Kimi Raikkonen has joined Alfa Romeo for 2019 following five seasons with Ferrari

DR: It's been rubbish for far too many years now, but we are long overdue a decent Monaco Grand Prix. Whether it comes in the form of a sprinkling or rain of some tire-related shenanigans I don't know but it would certainly be a surprise wouldn't it?

MS: Leclerc will finish above Vettel in the overall drivers points, Raikkonen will earn at least one podium for Alfa Romeo, and Alexander Albon – effectively an emergency choice for Toro Rosso – will be in and around the top 10 on a regular basis.

NS: I will go with Pierre Gasly. This one could come back to bite me but I expect Red Bull to make a real go of it this year and Gasly showed enough in spells in the Toro Rosso last year to suggest he can rise to the challenge.

Where are the championships heading?

JM: Drivers title: Hamilton. Constructors: Ferrari.

JD: I'm sold. Vettel and Ferrari.

     Hamilton once again goes into the season as a favorite to win the world championship

DR: Hamilton to win the drivers crown in a final race Abu Dhabi showdown but Ferrari to pinch the constructors' title.

MS: Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton. Where else?

NS: Mercedes. Hamilton is still the man and if I was a betting man that is where my money would go. As a pairing I prefer the Ferrari pair – Bottas unselfishness infuriates me – but I fully expect Mercedes to be another double.

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[giantsfootball0]

Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1st): “What a day — I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge.

“But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points — that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.”

Valtteri Bottas (3rd): “Today shows that anything is possible – that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “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, Technical Director: “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.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Daniel Ricciardo (2nd): “The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me.

“Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

Max Verstappen (DNF): “My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do.

“The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next 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.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Sebastian Vettel (DNF): “I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen (DNF): “At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal: “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.”

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sergio Perez (5th): “I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

Esteban Ocon (10th): “I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend — it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: “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.”

Sutton ImagesWilliams

Lance Stroll (8th): “I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.”

Felipe Massa (11th): “I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out.

“They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.”

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.”

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne (7th): “That was definitely an eventful race! To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race. I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance. Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

Fernando Alonso (DNF): “My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do. Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

“At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop. These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger. Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend – the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “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, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “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.”

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Carlos Sainz (4th): “WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft – where I struggled a bit during the first laps – and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember!

“I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft — it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this — we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat (DNF): “What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

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.”

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Romain Grosjean (9th): “I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts. From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen (DNF): “I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car. I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “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.”

Sutton ImagesRenault

Jolyon Palmer (6th): “I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Nico Hulkenberg (DNF): “It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

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.”

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Pascal Wehrlein (12th): “It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Marcus Ericsson (DNF): “It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Frédéric 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.”

Sutton ImagesPirelli

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “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.”

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Who said what after the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix

3:11 PM ET

ESPN staff

ESPN rounds up all the reaction from up and down the Marina Bay paddock following the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix.

Mercedes

Lewis Hamilton (1st): “What a day — I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge.

“But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points — that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.”

Valtteri Bottas (3rd): “Today shows that anything is possible – that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.”

Toto Wolff, Head of Mercedes-Benz Motorsport: “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, Technical Director: “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.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesRed Bull

Daniel Ricciardo (2nd): “The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me.

“Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

Max Verstappen (DNF): “My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do.

“The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next 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.”

Mark Thompson/Getty ImagesFerrari

Sebastian Vettel (DNF): “I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen (DNF): “At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”

Maurizio Arrivabene, Team Principal: “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.”

Andy Hone/LAT/Sutton ImagesForce India

Sergio Perez (5th): “I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

Esteban Ocon (10th): “I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend — it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

Robert Fernley, Deputy Team Principal: “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.”

Sutton ImagesWilliams

Lance Stroll (8th): “I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.”

Felipe Massa (11th): “I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out.

“They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.”

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.”

MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty ImagesMcLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne (7th): “That was definitely an eventful race! To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race. I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance. Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

Fernando Alonso (DNF): “My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do. Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry.

“At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop. These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger. Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend – the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

Eric Boullier, McLaren-Honda Racing Director: “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, Honda R&D Co. Ltd Head of F1 Project & Executive Chief Engineer: “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.”

Sutton ImagesToro Rosso

Carlos Sainz (4th): “WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft – where I struggled a bit during the first laps – and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember!

“I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft — it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this — we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat (DNF): “What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

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.”

Clive Mason/Getty ImagesHaas

Romain Grosjean (9th): “I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts. From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen (DNF): “I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car. I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Guenther Steiner, Team Principal: “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.”

Sutton ImagesRenault

Jolyon Palmer (6th): “I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Nico Hulkenberg (DNF): “It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

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.”

Lars Baron/Getty ImagesSauber

Pascal Wehrlein (12th): “It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Marcus Ericsson (DNF): “It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Frédéric 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.”

Sutton ImagesPirelli

Mario Isola, Head of Car Racing: “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.”

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