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Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2019 Results: Max Verstappen Wins Ahead of Pierre Gasly

Nov 17, 2019
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 17: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 and Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 and the rest of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 17, 2019 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 17: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB15 leads Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 and Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 and the rest of the field at the start during the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 17, 2019 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing won the penultimate Formula One race of the season, earning victory on Sunday at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Pierre Gasly claimed second and his first podium for Toro Rosso after a frantic end to the race after two safety-car periods.

Lewis Hamilton came third after fighting with Verstappen for victory until the final laps, but the world champion collided with Red Bull's Alexander Albon at the end and was later dropped from the podium after being given a five-second penalty.

Pole-sitter Verstappen was the quickest off the line, but the drama unfolded behind him as Hamilton accelerated past Sebastian Vettel to claim second at the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace.

Vettel aggressively chased the world champion over the first lap, but the British superstar defended his line and position.

Verstappen's intent was clear from the start, and the Red Bull driver created a gap between himself and the chasing pack.

Ferarri's Charles Leclerc ripped through the field after starting 14th on the grid, and the 22-year-old was up to seventh after eight laps.

Daniel Ricciardo and Kevin Magnussen collided as they tussled for track position. The incident saw Magnussen spin off the track, forcing Ricciardo into the pit lane to replace a damaged front wing.

Ricciardo was handed a five-second penalty for his part in the collision with Magnussen, and Hamilton continued to chase Verstappen hard for the lead.

Vettel struggled to find significant pace, and the grand prix was turning into a two-horse race at the front.

Hamilton was first into the pits, switching for softs on a two-stop strategy, and Verstappen responded with a pit stop of his own.

Red Bull gave their driver the perfect stop, but traffic impeded Verstappen on his way out.

There were cheers from the crowd as Verstappen quickly caught Hamilton, and the Dutchman sped past his rival.

The pair fought hard through the DRS zone, and the world champion retook the lead on lap 25 with an audacious passing move.

However, Verstappen reclaimed the lead again as his tyres warmed up, and Hamilton radioed his team to say he couldn't match the Red Bull's pace. The champion explained he thought he was on the wrong tyre and should have been given a set of mediums.

Ferrari opted to change to the hards for Leclerc and mediums for Vettel, but the Prancing Horse couldn't find the consistency of pace they desired before the midway point.

Further stops for Mercedes and Red Bull saw Hamilton complain about a lack of power on his radio, and Verstappen maintained a slender lead with 20 laps remaining.

Valtteri Bottas was forced to retire on lap 53, pulling his Mercedes off the track with smoke coming from his engine.

The safety car was deployed, and Red Bull switched strategy as a result, bringing in Verstappen for new tyres.

A grandstand finale was set up when the safety car finally came in with 12 laps to go, and Red Bull's pace appeared to give them the edge.

Hamilton deliberately backed up the field before the safety car exited, with others not allowed to pass him, but Verstappen pushed hard and forced his way back to the front when the racing started once more.

Red Bull had perfectly timed their tactics, and Verstappen left Hamilton in his shadow as he edged away for the victory.

There was drama between the Ferraris in the closing stages as Leclerc and Vettel touched, and both cars sustained punctures, ending their race.

Hamilton went for broke after a second safety car when the Ferraris clashed, but the Brit hit Albon in the final moments, allowing Gasly to pass.

Brazilian F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Saturday's Results, Times, Final Grid

Nov 16, 2019

Max Verstappen secured pole position for the 2019 Brazilian Formula One Grand Prix after finishing fastest in qualifying on Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton had gone quickest in the third and final practice session earlier in the day, but neither he nor Ferrari ace Sebastian Vettel were able to match Verstappen's times in qualifying at Interlagos in Sao Paulo.

Q1

Max Verstappen set the pace during the opening phase of the first session, with Ferrari appearing to be keeping something in reserve.

Vettel clocked a first lap of one minute and 8.556 seconds, slightly quicker than team-mate Charles Leclerc. Ferrari were offering hints of their speed, but things weren't going as well for McLaren, who could't get Carlos Sainz out of the garage and onto the track.

Eventually, Sainz had to withdraw from the session without putting a time on the board.

Toro Rosso's Daniil Kvyat was among those joining Sainz in making an early exit. Meanwhile, Sergio Perez managed to make it through at Kvyat's expense, but only by 0.032 seconds.

Verstappen had made an early statement, along with Ferrari, who placed both of their drivers in the five fastest, sandwiched around Mercedes' Valtteri Bottas, with his Silver Arrows team-mate Hamilton the sixth-quickest.

   

Q2

Hamilton knew he had to make a statement after Q1, and he promptly made a swift start to the second session.

Verstappen had already proved his speed, though, and he was soon setting the pace again. He also had a familiar rival for company, with Leclerc continuing to come close to matching Red Bull's rising star.

It was a different story for Vertsappen's former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo. The Renault man was the biggest name among those who dropped out at the end of Q2, with the team's misery completed by Nico Hulkenberg also failing to make the grade.

   

Q3

Hamilton went round in one minute and 7.623 seconds, but Verstappen once again topped him after positing a time a mere 0.008 seconds quicker than Vettel.

Red Bull and Ferrari's early speed was no mirage, and Mercedes had yet to heed the warning. Verstappen had provisional pole to himself and went a tenth of a second quicker on his final lap, but he was left sweating over whether he had been quick enough to keep pole away from Vettel.

Ultimately, Verstappen had done enough, and the 22-year-old expressed his delight with the way the car had performed.

By contrast, Hamilton remained wary about the Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace:

Hamilton and Mercedes know the scale of the task facing them against two rival teams who both appear quicker and stronger in Sao Paulo ahead of Sunday's race.

USA F1 Grand Prix 2019 Results: Lewis Hamilton Clinches 6th Career Title

Nov 3, 2019

Lewis Hamilton sealed his sixth Formula One world title on Sunday while Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas won the USA Grand Prix.

Hamilton—who only needed to end the race in eighth—finished second at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas, while Red Bull's Max Verstappen rounded out the podium places in third.

The Englishman has now won the drivers' championship for three years running, having previously been the victor in 2008, 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018.

Bottas congratulated his team-mate on the championship, while Hamilton was ecstatic with his victory:

Hamilton, who started fifth on the grid, overtook both Ferraris in the opening lap to move up to third behind Bottas and Verstappen:

Vettel dropped to seventh in the first lap, and his day got worse when he was forced to retire on Lap 9 with a suspension issue:

Meanwhile, Red Bull's Alexander Albon had to claw his way up the field from last place after he was forced to pit following an early coming together with Carlos Sainz.

Hamilton took the lead in the 14th lap after Verstappen and then Bottas pitted, while he continued, pursuing a one-stop strategy.

He initially ignored a team order to pit himself in the 24th lap, but he did so in the following lap after being overtaken by Bottas.

The 34-year-old regained the lead on Lap 35 when Verstappen and Bottas hit the pits for a second time, at which point winning the race became a question of holding off the pair behind him on ever-degrading tyres.

Having steadily gained on him and been held off on Lap 51, Bottas eventually took the lead from his team-mate with four remaining:

Hamilton was able to hold off Verstappen over the final laps to keep second place, though.

The Silver Arrows driver is now just one short of Michael Schumacher's seven titles.

USA F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Results, Times from Friday's Practice

Nov 1, 2019
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 races during the first practice sessoion for the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on November 01, 2019. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)
Lewis Hamilton of Great Britain driving the (44) Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team Mercedes W10 races during the first practice sessoion for the F1 Grand Prix of USA at Circuit of The Americas in Austin, Texas on November 01, 2019. (Photo by Mark RALSTON / AFP) (Photo by MARK RALSTON/AFP via Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton showed a much-improved performance in second practice on Friday ahead of the 2019 United States Grand Prix, topping the time sheets after a less impressive opener in FP1.

He finished fastest in one minute, 33.232 seconds, three tenths of a second quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc in second and eight tenths of a second faster than Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas:

There was only 0.014 seconds between Leclerc and third-place finisher Max Verstappen, who finished third after cutting half-a-second off his FP1-topping time. Sebastian Vettel finished fourth but was 0.357 seconds slower than Ferrari team-mate Leclerc.

Hamilton—who will clinch a sixth world title on Sunday as long as he doesn't lose 22 points to Bottas—finished four places ahead of Bottas and looks to be in good shape heading into the weekend.

            

FP2 Recap

Standings leader Hamilton was in need of a quick turnaround following a disappointing show in FP1, and he successfully returned to the top of the time sheets in FP2.

The five-time champion was also rejoined by race engineer Peter Bonnington, who returned to the pit after missing the Mexican Grand Prix on Sunday due to a medical procedure:

Having adjusted to the bumpy conditions at the Circuit of Americas, the Briton took one step closer to securing pole on Saturday while some of his rivals were tormented.

Vettel spun late in FP2 at Turn 15, while there was a red flag earlier in the session following Romain Grosjean's crash into the barriers on only his fourth lap:

Leclerc replied there was "no way I can do that" when told Hamilton's time just 10 laps into his own run, per BBC Sport's Andrew Benson, a premonition that came true in the end.

McLaren's Carlos Sainz and Lance Stroll of Racing Point almost had a collision right at the end of the session.

Bottas will eye improvements of his own on Saturday as he seeks to cut down the gap on Hamilton, the Finn being the only driver in the field who can prevent his team-mate from winning the 2019 crown.

Leclerc and Verstappen look like the most likely challengers for first place in Texas as things stand, though Hamilton looks to already be gathering the momentum he needs to clinch silverware come Sunday.

       

FP1 Recap

Verstappen finished fastest in the first practice session, topping the leaderboard with a best lap of one minute, 34.057 seconds.

Ferrari's Vettel finished second and a little more than two-tenths of a second off the pace, while Verstappen's Red Bull team-mate, Alexander Albon, ended the session in third.

The chilly temperatures at the Circuit of Americas in Austin, Texas, saw several star names fail to warm up quite as expected, with Bottas finishing FP1 down in 17th with a fastest lap of 1:36.159.

Formula One posted a breakdown of the fastest lap times from FP1:

Hamilton, 34, is on the verge of becoming the second driver in history to win six world titles; seven-time champion and F1 legend Michael Schumacher is the only other driver to do so.

Three races are left in the 2019 season, and Hamilton could set a new personal record for wins in a single year, per Mercedes:

Verstappen has mustered only one pole finish so far this season—at the Hungarian Grand Prix in August—but the Dutchman is on course to double that tally after a strong start in FP1. 

Hamilton could be heard complaining about the track over his team radio and referred to it as "the bumpiest track in the world," per BBC Sport.

Former Formula One driver Marcus Ericsson replied to concerns over the track condition and argued everyone would have to race in the same conditions:

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc couldn't match Vettel's pace and finished seventh, one place and less than one-tenth of a second faster than Hamilton after he had a lap scratched off due to exceeding track limits.

Toro Rosso's Pierre Gasly will be content with fourth and an impressive 32 laps—only Bottas (40) recorded more—and was less than one second slower than former Red Bull team-mate Verstappen.

Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo—10th in the drivers' standings—came fifth in 1:35.263 and also showed promise as he seeks to finish on an F1 podium for the first time this season.  

Mexican F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Saturday's Results, Times, Final Grid

Oct 26, 2019
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 26: Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing talks with second place qualifier Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 26, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)
MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - OCTOBER 26: Pole position qualifier Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing talks with second place qualifier Charles Leclerc of Monaco and Ferrari in parc ferme during qualifying for the F1 Grand Prix of Mexico at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez on October 26, 2019 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Dan Istitene/Getty Images)

Red Bull's Max Verstappen has been stripped of his pole position for Sunday's Formula One Mexican Grand Prix after being given a three-place grid penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags at the end of qualifying:

Verstappen had snatched top spot with a time of one minute, 15.949 seconds to secure just the second pole position of his career but will now start the race in fourth place on the grid.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is promoted to pole position for Sunday's race, and he will be joined on the front row by team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton qualified in fourth but moves up to third and will win his sixth world championship if he finishes 14 points ahead of team-mate Valtteri Bottas on Sunday.

Here is a look at the standings after the final qualifying session in Mexico City:

BBC Sport's Jennie Gow showed the revised order after Verstappen's penalty:

Verstappen produced a stunning lap to secure pole, beating Leclerc by 0.266 seconds to put himself on course to win the Mexican Grand Prix for a third year in a row. 

Yet the 22-year-old was summoned by stewards after the session for failing to slow under waved yellow flags after Bottas crashed heavily, as shown by Rachel Brookes at Sky Sports:

The two Ferraris showed their pace throughout practice, and Leclerc topped the standings ahead of Vettel in Saturday's final session. The team could not match Verstappen in qualifying, but the Red Bull driver's penalty means the team have now claimed their sixth consecutive pole position. 

Neither Ferrari could beat Verstappen late in the session because of Bottas' crash. The Mercedes driver hit the barrier at the final corner, which brought out yellow warning flags:

Bottas managed to walk away from the crash and was taken to the medical centre for a check-up after the session. Mercedes announced he was later given the all clear:

McLaren duo Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris will start behind Bottas, while the Toro Rosso pair of Daniil Kvyat and Pierre Gasly complete the top 10.

Further back, it was another disappointing day for Daniel Ricciardo and Renault. Ricciardo took pole position in last year's race while with Red Bull, but he starts in 13th behind team-mate Nico Hulkenberg. Kimi Raikkonen is behind Ricciardo in the Alfa Romeo, with team-mate Antonio Giovinazzi alongside him in 15th.

Williams and Haas saw both of their drivers eliminated in the first qualifying session along with Racing Point's Lance Stroll. Robert Kubica was over 1.3 seconds behind team-mate George Russell as the Williams team failed to make it into Q2 again.

Mexican F1 Grand Prix 2019: Start Time, Drivers, TV Schedule and More

Oct 26, 2019
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, left, winner, celebrates with his teammate Valtteri Bottas of Finland, second placed, after the Russian Formula one Grand Prix, at the 'Sochi Autodrom' Formula One circuit, in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, Sept.29, 2019. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)
Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain, left, winner, celebrates with his teammate Valtteri Bottas of Finland, second placed, after the Russian Formula one Grand Prix, at the 'Sochi Autodrom' Formula One circuit, in Sochi, Russia, Sunday, Sept.29, 2019. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

Lewis Hamilton can win his sixth Formula One world championship on Sunday at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix.

Only Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas can halt the Brit from retaining his crown for a third successive season.

Hamilton needs to outscore Bottas by 14 points at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez track for the title to be his with three races to spare.

                                       

Date: Sunday, October 27

Time: 2:10 p.m. local, 7:10 p.m. GMT, 3:10 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports F1 (UK), ESPN 2 (U.S.)

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), ESPN Player (U.S.)

For a full list of the drivers, visit the F1 website.

                           

Preview

Ferrari's pace might end up being too good for Mercedes in Mexico City, but all eyes will be on Hamilton and Bottas.

Bottas was victorious in the last race in Japan, and with the reigning world champion grabbing a spot on the podium in third, the Silver Arrows regained the constructors' championship.

It was the sixth consecutive title for the German team, and Hamilton thanked the organisation and congratulated his team-mate after the latest success:

Mercedes' strength is no surprise, but Ferrari have shown a path to the world title might be open for them next season.

Charles Leclerc has won two races in his debut season with Ferrari, and four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel remains a consistent threat to the podium places—he won the Singapore Grand Prix in September.

The Italian constructor will also battle Red Bull Racing for supremacy in Mexico, with the Honda-powered British team usually performing well at this track in previous campaigns. Max Verstappen has won the race for the past two years.

Speaking ahead of the race, Hamilton said he will be focussing on his own performance rather than the Prancing Horse's, per Daniel Blackham of the Daily Express:

"All I can do is try and focus. They'll be quick on the straights here, there's that one big straight that could make all the difference, we could lose half a second there alone, who knows? All I can do is make sure I get everything and more out of my car, that's the goal. There's races where you expect [Ferrari] to be really quick and they just aren't. Let's hope this is one of those races."

Hamilton will be methodical over the next four races, and the Brit knows he has time to collect the points he needs to finish the job.

To become a  six-time world champion at 34 would be a tremendous achievement, and the talent Hamilton displayed early in his career at McLaren has been fulfilled.

The challenges will grow next season for both Hamilton and Mercedes, with Leclerc and Verstappen leading the next generation of the sport, but for now, the Englishman remains the greatest driver in Formula One.

Mexican F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Results, Times from Friday's Practice

Oct 25, 2019

Sebastian Vettel went fastest during Friday's practice at the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix, with the Ferrari driver clocking a time of 1:16.607.

The German found excellent pace later in the day, and laced together three consistent sectors during P2. Max Verstappen edged out Charles Leclerc for the second-fastest run, but the Prancing Horse was supreme ahead of qualifying.

Lewis Hamilton had gone quickest in P1 ahead of Leclerc, but a damp track and traffic made it difficult for the top cars to find their true pace.

Mercedes struggled as the day unfolded, and Hamilton backed off from pushing for a quicker time. The champion was only fifth-fastest after P2.

Tyre degradation was the hot topic during practice, and a two-stop race strategy might become essential on Sunday, with teams forced to use all available compounds.

Formula One shared a breakdown of the positions from P2:

Leclerc and Valtteri Bottas spun early during P2, but both drivers quickly corrected their mistakes to rejoin the session.

Ferrari's switch to the medium tyre compound saw their vehicles significantly pick up the pace, and Vettel was certainly the biggest beneficiary as he produced the quickest lap.

Red Bull Racing's Alexander Albon hit the wall, temporarily pausing proceedings, but the 23-year-old appeared to be fine after the shock of his crash. The London-born driver oversteered and lost control of his car, ending his practice session with an uncomfortable bump:

Hamilton's race engineer Peter Bonnington is set to miss the Mexican race for medical reasons, so the world champion spent time communicating and working beside replacement Marcus Dudley, rather than searching for additional speed.

Teams struggled during the runs on soft tyres, sliding around the track as the compound blistered, and Saturday's weather could test the softs further if the heavens open and the rain falls.

Verstappen had a mixed P2, but produced a quick lap despite difficulties across consecutive runs, with tyre temperature a constant issue for the Dutchman.

The high altitude challenged each car's braking systems due to the thinner air in Mexico City, and this will hugely influence strategies during Saturday's qualifying and Sunday's race.

Bottas also found life tough on the softs, but appeared more comfortable on the harder tyre compounds later in the session, despite consistent graining and degradation. It was a problem suffered not only by Mercedes, with each team on the track reporting the issue on their radio communication.

The medium tyres will be favoured by most teams on Sunday, but the weather will be the deciding factor moments before lights out.

Leclerc suffered a dangerous spin late in practice as he pushed his car, but the Ferrari youngster managed to avoid the wall and a bad accident.

Hamilton is on the brink of his sixth world championship, and if the Brit can beat team-mate Bottas by 14 points on Sunday, the title race will be over for another season.

Japanese F1 Grand Prix 2019 Results: Winner, Standings, Highlights, Reaction

Oct 13, 2019

Valtteri Bottas took victory in a fascinating 2019 Formula One Japanese Grand Prix on Sunday as Mercedes wrapped up the constructors' championship for a sixth year running.

Ferrari claimed a one-two on the grid in Sunday's qualifying session—postponed from Saturday because of to Typhoon Hagibis—but Bottas jumped both pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel and Charles Leclerc at the start before the latter collided with Red Bull's Max Verstappen at Turn 2.

An action-packed start finished with Bottas first, Vettel second and Lewis Hamilton third, and after plenty of chopping and changing throughout the race, that is how things finished.

Despite persisting with major damage to his car after being hit by Leclerc, a justly angry Verstappen had to retire after 15 laps:

Mercedes secured their constructors' title despite failing to get a one-two finish thanks to Hamilton's bonus point for the fastest lap of the race.

They are also guaranteed the drivers' championship this season because Vettel, Leclerc and Verstappen are now all out the running:

Here is the top 10 from the Suzuka Circuit:

Leclerc managed to fight back to sixth after he fell to the rear of the pack following his collision with Verstappen.

He had to pit early for a new front wing, but that was just one aspect of Ferrari's disastrous start. Vettel got away terribly after having to stop himself following a jump-start, and Bottas cruised past him to take first place.

With Hamilton also up to third, Mercedes had taken the initiative, and they never let it go despite sending out numerous mixed messages on strategy.

Initial indications seemed to suggest Bottas, who pitted first, was on a two-stop strategy, while Hamilton was on a one-stop:

However, when the world champion got medium tyres on his first stop, it was made clear he would have to pit again, which the Englishman was not happy about:

With the end in sight, Hamilton had the lead, and Bottas had to check with his engineer that his team-mate would definitely stop again:

Ten laps from the end, Hamilton went back into the pits, but it is possible he could have got the race victory had he stayed out:

Hamilton had to settle for third after failing to get past Vettel in the closing laps despite being all over the back of his Ferrari. For Bottas, it was his first victory since Baku, the fourth race of the season.

With four races remaining in 2019, the Finn is 64 points behind Hamilton, who remains on course for a third consecutive world title.

Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2019 Results: Sebastian Vettel Leads Home Ferrari 1-2

Sep 22, 2019
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 22: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 22, 2019 in Singapore. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)
SINGAPORE, SINGAPORE - SEPTEMBER 22: Sebastian Vettel of Germany driving the (5) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 leads Charles Leclerc of Monaco driving the (16) Scuderia Ferrari SF90 on track during the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 22, 2019 in Singapore. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images)

Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel clinched his first win for over a year at the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday. 

The four-time world champion was the inadvertent beneficiary of a strategic decision from his team, as the move to bring him into the pits early from third saw him undercut team-mate Charles Leclerc, who led the race after starting on pole.

It meant Leclerc dropped back into second, where he eventually finished, due to no fault of his own. Max Verstappen was third for Red Bull, with world champion and championship leader Lewis Hamilton in fourth.

The race in Singapore has been renowned for chaotic starts in the past, although the drivers enjoyed a clean getaway on Sunday.

Leclerc was fast off the line and was able to build a one-second advantage by the end of the first lap. The Monegasque was helped by the fact that his Ferrari team-mate was applying serious pressure to Hamilton for second spot.

Vettel found some searing speed on the first lap, but the world champion showed his class with some excellent defensive driving:

Eventually, Hamilton was able to establish himself in the race and put some distance between himself and Vettel. Gradually, he worked his way back up towards the race leader, chopping down the gap to Leclerc back to under a second.

Meanwhile, Daniel Ricciardo was making gains further back in the field after starting at the back of the grid and was clearly in the mood for racing:

The race burst into life after the first round of pitstops for the leaders. Vettel was under pressure from Nico Hulkenberg, so was brought in first by Ferrari. Leclerc came in a couple of laps later, only to find himself behind his team-mate, who had gained time on the undercut.

As relayed by F1 journalist Luke Smith, that in turn had a knock-on effect on Hamilton, who suddenly found himself in a tricky situation:

Vettel was able to clear a few cars still out on track on a longer strategy to take the outright lead of the race, with his team-mate and Verstappen nestled behind him. After coming in to pit, Hamilton was down in fourth, albeit with tyres that would be fresher at the end of the race.

A crash for George Russell and a breakdown for Sergio Perez meant the race was temporarily neutralised twice in quick succession. However, it was enough to budge the contenders for victory back together, setting up a potentially fascinating climax.

While Leclerc was frustrated and keen to overhaul his team-mate at the restart, he was reminded to be responsible by his team:

After another brief safety car following Kimi Raikkonen's retirement from the race, the action did get underway again, with Vettel and Leclerc negotiating the threat of Verstappen well at the front of the race.

It meant the battle to watch in the final stages was between Hamilton and Verstappen, with the former all over the back of the Red Bull in the closing laps. Eventually, the Dutchman did just enough to ensure he joined the two Ferrari drivers on the podium.

For Vettel, it's been a year to forget, with a number of sloppy errors costing him at crucial times. Ferrari will hope this victory is enough to finally spark the German's season into life.

Singapore F1 Grand Prix 2019 Qualifying: Charles Leclerc Takes Pole Position

Sep 21, 2019
Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (top) drives past the Ferrari team as he takes part in the qualifying session for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on September 21, 2019. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)
Ferrari's Monegasque driver Charles Leclerc (top) drives past the Ferrari team as he takes part in the qualifying session for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on September 21, 2019. (Photo by Mohd RASFAN / AFP) (Photo credit should read MOHD RASFAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Charles Leclerc will start the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix from pole position on Sunday after beating Lewis Hamilton to the top spot in qualifying.

The Ferrari starlet was the fastest man in the final qualifying runs, with Hamilton edging Sebastian Vettel for a spot on the front row. Max Verstappen will join Vettel on the second row, while Valtteri Bottas will start fifth.

Here are the full results:

Mercedes started their Q1 runs on the medium tyres, while Ferrari opted for a faster compound, and Leclerc set the early benchmark. Red Bull were slightly off the pace, with Verstappen giving up half a second to the leader.

The Silver Arrows came out late in Q1 on soft tyres, and Bottas promptly flashed his pace, setting a new fastest lap. At the back, Kimi Raikkonen got himself into Q2 with a late surge, while Romain Grosjean, Daniil Kvyat and Lance Stroll missed out.

The talk of the session was Mercedes' pace:

Ferrari came out on top again at the start of Q2, however, with all cars on the soft compound. Leclerc narrowly beat Hamilton and Bottas, while Vettel temporarily went fourth-fastest until Verstappen beat his time.

Things were so close between the top teams that each held the advantage in a sector:

While the front-runners were keeping things close, Raikkonen made contact with the wall, but the mechanics were able to fix the damage in time.

Vettel finished Q2 in second place after improving on his time, but all of the top contenders safely made it into Q3, setting up a great battle in the shootout.

The German had excellent track position to start the final session and put in a flying lap, going a full second faster than the Mercedes duo. F1 writer Luke Smith thought the position was key:

Vettel again came out ahead of Leclerc for the final runs, while Mercedes were the last cars on track. The German had to back out of his lap, opening the door for Leclerc to post the quickest time and take pole. Hamilton split the Ferrari duo, and Verstappen beat Bottas to fourth place.

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