2022 F1 Singapore GP: Winners and Losers

Welcome back, F1 Singapore GP! The race made a return to the sport's calendar with a bang.

The race was delayed by an hour due to a pre-race rain shower. When it did begin, it displayed the kind of high-level driving and action that was fitting for a race that made a return after three years.

In the end, Sergio Perez was the first driver to cross the checkered flag ahead of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz.

Whenever Perez wins, it's a feel-good moment, but given how the race panned out, there will be quite a few who will be heading home with a sour taste in their mouth. The 2022 F1 Singapore GP was rewarding for some, but for others not so much. Who are they? Well, let's find out as we take a look at the winners and losers for the 2022 F1 Singapore GP.

---

2022 F1 Singapore GP (Winners and Losers)

Winner

Red Bull

The weekend that started with murmuring had reached the point of full-blown accusations against Red Bull over the supposed cost-cap breach. The team's name was maligned and a publication's report on 'paddock rumors' meant that the team was under fire.

Mercedes and Ferrari smelled blood and publicly went after Red Bull on Friday. Once Red Bull fought back on these suggestions and even warned of action against these allegations, things calmed down. The whole ruckus, however, left a sour taste in the team's mouth, which got even worse when Max Verstappen's sensational pole lap was aborted.

The team was on the back foot and the Red Bull driver, who had won the last four races, was far down the order. This was the moment that the team chose to show that it had two capable drivers as Sergio Perez fended off Charles Leclerc's advances and won the race. No one knows what the FIA's cost-cap report will reveal, but one thing is clear: the team will leave Singapore having made a statement to its rivals.

Loser

Mercedes

This was a weekend where Mercedes should have shone. The team will leave the F1 Singapore GP with a feeling that it has left buckets of points on the table, and it won't be wrong.

Lewis Hamilton's race was doomed when he was jumped at the start by Carlos Sainz. George Russell's gamble for the slicks was as shambolic as the rest of his race, where he was all over the place. Mercedes recently claimed that it wishes to beat Ferrari in the constructors' championship. After the 2022 F1 Singapore GP, that claim looks bleak.

Winner

McLaren

McLaren struggled like anything on Friday when the upgrade package did not supposedly work for the team. The rain on Saturday and Sunday, however, turned the team's fate upside down.

McLaren turned competitive as the car had a stronger pace in the wet than in the dry. What also helped the team was Daniel Ricciardo scoring a surprise P5 in the race.

The Australian was not as comfortable as his teammate, but he made the most of accidents, safety cars, and stoppages to score good points for the team. McLaren leaves the 2022 F1 Singapore GP P4 in the constructors' championship with all the momentum in the world on its side.

Loser

Alpine

This is the second race in a row where Alpine have not scored points since Italy. This coincides with McLaren scoring a huge chunk of points with P4 and P5 finishes at the 2022 F1 Singapore GP.

Earlier, Fernando Alonso was driving a strong race while Esteban Ocon was on the fringes of a points finish. As it turns out, the Renault power unit, one that has been very efficient this season, gave up on the drivers. Alonso first went out of the race, followed by Ocon.

The battle for P4 in the constructors' championship is almost a personal battle between Alpine and McLaren after the Oscar Piastri fiasco. Alpine is losing momentum at the moment and will be hoping to gain it back soon.

Winner

Sergio Perez

What a splendid drive from the Mexican!

Sergio Perez came to the 2022 F1 Singapore GP under some pressure. Helmut Marko is a ruthless operator and had expressed dissatisfaction with Perez's performances in the last few races.

While Max Verstappen's race was compromised by low fuel during qualifying, Perez was the only hope for a Red Bull win this weekend.

As it turned out, the Mexican put on a masterclass at the 2022 F1 Singapore GP and beat the likes of Charles Leclerc, Carlos Sainz, and even Lewis Hamilton (early in the race) to secure the win. Although the results of the investigation are awaited at the time of writing, whatever the penalty (if any) may be, this drive was so good that even Helmut Marko was forced to term it 'perfect' to Perez in parc fermé after the race.

Loser

Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton

The two title rivals in the 2021 F1 season had a somewhat shambolic 2022 F1 Singapore GP, to say the least. Max Verstappen was on his way to another epic pole position but could not complete it because of the team's miscalculation. The Red Bull driver's race pace and race craft were strong except for one moment that arguably cost him a podium. While trying to overtake Lando Norris before Turn 7, Verstappen slid off the track as he braked on a wet patch.

If it wasn't for this mistake, a podium was surely a possibility. Max Verstappen would have moved up to P4 with that overtake, right behind Carlos Sainz, who was struggling with pace. Regardless, for a driver who had angrily claimed he wanted himself and the team to be 'perfect', this was a humbling incident.

The 2022 F1 Singapore GP was not one of Lewis Hamilton's best. He was lucky he did not retire after going straight on into the barriers. He lost any opportunity of a podium with that move. What made things worse was him sliding off the track while trying to overtake Sebastian Vettel on the penultimate lap of the race. Hamilton will be hoping to just put this race in the rearview mirror as soon as possible.