Singapore GP 2022
Sergio Perez was the hero in Singapore. The number two at Red Bull excelled under the most difficult conditions. Ferrari pursued an old problem. Max Verstappen and Mercedes were out of shape on Sunday. One topic overshadowed everything: did Red Bull spend too much money in 2021?
Singapore celebrated its return to the Grand Prix circuit with 103,000 spectators at the circuit on Sunday. They experienced a race that was characterized by waiting. Wait until the track is finally dry enough to go on slick tires. It felt like an eternity. The requirement for the drivers was to economize with their intermediates until then. The action on the race track suffered accordingly.
For the first time in his career, Sergio Perez led from start to finish. He accelerated Charles Leclerc, withstood his pressure and played Red Bull's advantages in tire management. Ferrari has still not cleaned up this construction site. Leclerc's zest for action was slowed down by overheating tires. But that also had to do with the fact that he was driving in the turbulent air of the Red Bull.
Two teams over budget?
This race drained Perez mentally. Because he couldn't afford to make a mistake - and because he also came into conflict with the technology in between. The Honda engine briefly hiccuped. We explain what happened, what Perez did wrong under the safety car and why he got away with just a five-second penalty. And in our Singapore GP episode "Formula Schmidt" we talk about the many problems that held Max Verstappen up. The team was to blame on Friday and Saturday. On the Sunday of the race, the world championship leader himself.
Mercedes lost. The constructors' world champions had wished for a dry race. McLaren and Aston Martin played up. Alpine suffered a double retirement. What does that mean for position battles in midfield? How did the McLaren and Alpine upgrades ignite? And what about new developments in the last five races?
A message overshadowed the weekend. Two teams are said to have managed above the permitted possibilities in 2021. It is said to be Red Bull and Aston Martin. The competition ignited. What penalties are there? Is even Max Verstappen's world title in danger? And will possible penalties be communicated at all on Wednesday before the Japanese GP? In "Formel Schmidt" we dedicate ourselves in detail to the current big excitement of Formula 1.
