Vettel wins after 13 months, leaves Leclerc fuming

SINGAPORE:SEBASTIAN Vettel ended the torment of 13 months without a win by leading his complaining Ferrari team mate Charles Leclerc across the line in a onetwo finish at the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. The German, whose last victory was at the Belgian Grand Prix in August 2018, started third but made the most of an early pitstop to leapfrog the unhappy Monegasque, who had led from pole position.

Vettel took the chequered flag 2.6 seconds ahead of Leclerc for Ferrari’s third race win in a row —the first such hat-trick for the Italian team since 2008 and their first one-two since 2017. Dutch youngster Max Verstappen finished third for Red Bull ahead of Lewis Hamilton who was fourth but still extended his lead to 65 points over fifth-placed Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas.

Hamilton has 296 points to Bottas’s 231 with six races remaining while Mercedes have 527 to Ferrari’s 394 in the constructors’ championship. The victory under the floodlights was the 53rd of Vettel’s career. Having gone into the weekend tied with Hamilton on four Singapore wins, the German is now the most successful driver outright in the city-state.

“I’m very happy, great race,” said the four-times world champion after the first one-two by any team on Singapore’s street circuit. The early stop gave the German a fresh tyre boost that left Leclerc crestfallen when the Monegasque pitted from the lead and emerged just as Vettel swept past for a track advantage he never relinquished.

“What the hell…” exclaimed Leclerc over the team radio, who made no secret of his displeasure in further comments.

“My head is down and it will be down until the race (ends). I just want to let you know my feelings,” he said.

“To be completely honest with you, I don’t understand at all the undercut,” complained Leclerc, winner in Belgium and Italy and now joint third with Verstappen in the overall standings.

DRIVERS SLAM IDEA OF QUALIFYING RACES Formula One is considering holding races to determine the starting grid at certain grands prix next year, the president of the sport’s governing body Jean Todt said on Saturday, but the idea was slammed by leading drivers.

“I think it’s complete bullshit to be honest. It’s just a plaster. I don’t know which genius came up with it but it’s not the solution,” said Vettel. Hamilton agreed: “People that are proposing that, they don’t really know what they’re talking about,” he said.