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Singapore GP Takeaways: Checo delays Max's title, McLaren can finally cheer

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Following each race weekend this season, theScore's editors will offer their takeaways. We continue with the Singapore GP.

Checo shines again on a street circuit

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Sergio Perez's victory Sunday in Singapore may have been the most clinical of the four he's claimed in his long career.

With one podium over his last six races, the Mexican driver had become an almost forgotten man in the battle for P2 in the championship. However, the bright lights of the Marina Bay circuit seemed to rejuvenate Perez from the get-go. After qualifying just 0.022 seconds off of pole, Perez snatched first from Charles Leclerc at the start and coped brilliantly with whatever the race threw at him.

Whether it was the damp conditions, temporary engine drivability problems, a charging Leclerc, or a late requirement to build a 5-second gap, Checo did it all. That's why he held on to his result despite a 5-second penalty following the race for a safety car violation.

"It was certainly my best performance," Perez said. "I controlled the race, although the warm-up was pretty difficult. The last few laps were so intense. I really didn't feel it so much in the car, but when I got out of it, I felt it. I pushed (and) I gave everything for the win today."

Who could have expected such a grand race from a driver who had been all but discredited after losing form over the summer? Perhaps the outcome isn’t as shocking as it seems. While Perez has built a reputation over the years for his racecraft and tire management, his expertise on street circuits shouldn’t be forgotten.

There is little margin for error on these usually tight circuits. And while some drivers shrivel under the pressure, it seems to be where Perez brings his best. This year alone, the veteran stood on the top step in Monaco and Singapore, secured second-place finishes in Baku and Australia, and added the first pole of his career in Saudi Arabia. - Daniel Valente

Verstappen's title chase drags on to Suzuka

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A five-race win streak ended and may have shown the world that Max Verstappen and his side of the garage are human after all.

It wasn't a birthday weekend worth celebrating for Verstappen, who turned 25 on Friday. He was robbed of pole position Saturday after Red Bull failed to realize that he wouldn't have enough fuel to finish the run. Starting from eighth, Verstappen compounded his misery by showing flashes of his less mature, overly aggressive former self rather than the collected driver who had become inevitable over the course of 2022.

An unusual bad start dropped the Dutch driver out of the points initially, but he crawled back into the top five before another uncharacteristic error saw him lock up and run off track. With flat-spotted tires, Verstappen was forced to pit and emerged at the back of the pack before climbing into seventh.

"I had to box again because of the massive vibrations, put new tires on, and came from last back into the points. It's not where we want to be, but that already starts from yesterday," Verstappen said. "You put yourself in a spot like that, it can either work brilliantly and you can drive back to the front, or it's just very frustrating like we had."

While Red Bull and Verstappen can point fingers at each other, it doesn't change the consequence of the weekend: He didn't clinch the drivers' title and his pursuit will continue in Suzuka.

For Verstappen to double his world championships, he needs to outscore Leclerc by eight points in Japan and Perez by six. Though his 104-point lead likely won't be challenged even if he doesn't wrap things up next weekend, it's crucial for Red Bull and Verstappen to ensure a bad race doesn't turn into a slump.

"We have five races left and we have a big lead, but I want to have a good weekend every single time and this has been a really terrible weekend, which started of course yesterday with the big f---up in qualifying," Verstappen said, according to Motorsport.com. - Valente

Dream outing for McLaren

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Even the most optimistic McLaren fans likely couldn't picture this outcome heading into Sunday's roller coaster of a race.

Lando Norris, running new upgrades on his MCL36, and Daniel Ricciardo were both well off the pace in all three practice sessions. Even when Norris qualified sixth, his outgoing teammate, not for the first time this season, was eliminated in Q1 and ultimately started in 16th. Worse yet, Alpine's Fernando Alonso, who'd looked fast all weekend, was starting fifth and eyeing a surge even further up the field.

The battle for fourth in the constructors' championship appeared to be tilting, again, in favor of the French team.

Fast-forward to the checkered flag and McLaren, perhaps even surprising itself, brought its cars home in fourth and fifth place. Norris and Ricciardo both benefited enormously from a "free" pit stop under the safety car brought out by Yuki Tsunoda's retirement.

Alpine, meanwhile, had a nightmarish outing that saw both Alonso and Esteban Ocon retire. Norris' near podium combined with Ricciardo's best finish of the season allowed McLaren to rack up 22 points and pass Alpine in the standings.

"As tempting as it sounded (to take slick tires before the safety car), it wasn't the right call, so we (bided) our time and we were able to gain on the others during that phase and then there was a safety car - and then we made a very big gain with the Tsunoda incident," Ricciardo said after the race, adding that the team was overdue for some good fortune.

"Happy, great weekend - not an easy one," Norris said. "It felt like one of our worst to begin with, but ending up almost being one of our best of the year."

Roller coaster, indeed. In a season where much is already seemingly decided, this seesaw battle between McLaren and Alpine continues to deliver. - Gianluca Nesci

Aston Martin has rare good weekend

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They benefited from the six retirements, but for just the second time this season, both Aston Martin drivers were in the points.

Lance Stroll managed a season-best sixth place, equaling his best finish over his last 40 races.

Sebastian Vettel, meanwhile, placed eighth for a third time this season. His only higher finish this year came in Azerbaijan when he crossed the line in sixth. Vettel dominated this track earlier in his career, picking up five race wins while with Red Bull and Ferrari - more at Marina Bay than any other F1 driver in history.

"I think we can be happy with a strong result for the team and scoring important points," Vettel said. "It was not easy with some very difficult track conditions."

The 12 points Aston Martin secured Sunday were massive, allowing the constructor to leapfrog Haas and AlphaTauri to move into seventh.

"We have moved up in the teams' championship, which is important and a nice boost as we enter the final part of the season," Stroll said.

The hope is that Stroll's performance in Singapore can give him some confidence down the stretch. He's 15th in the drivers' standings, and if he stays there, it would represent the second season in a row in which he's dropped (he was 11th in 2020 and 13th in 2021).

Stroll has finished higher than Vettel in just seven of 15 races (Vettel missed two at the start of the year), though the young Canadian has beaten the former world champion in two of the last three.

Stroll's seat is secure for next season. He'll be joined by Alonso, who will replace the retiring Vettel. - Brandon Wile

Great to see Albon back

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Alex Albon was a winner just for getting into the car this weekend.

The Williams driver missed the Italian GP three weeks ago due to appendicitis and then suffered respiratory failure after surgery. He was released from hospital Sept. 13 and recovered in time to race in Singapore.

Albon had to retire from Sunday's race, however, after crashing into the wall on Lap 26 and damaging the front wing.

He previously agreed to a multi-year deal with Williams, so Albon can focus on continuing to recover and trying to finish the year strong.

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