Race - 2017 Singapore GP team quotes

Force India

Sahara Force India scored 11 points in today’s Singapore Grand Prix as Sergio Perez raced to fifth place ahead of Esteban Ocon in tenth.

SERGIO PEREZ

“I’m really pleased to come away from such a challenging evening with fifth place. So many things happened during the race, especially on lap one when it was so difficult to see anything because of the spray. At the same time, I’m a little disappointed that we missed out on a podium because I think the second safety car period didn’t help our strategy. We started the race on the full wet tyre, but we had to switch early to the intermediate tyres under the Safety Car and I lost valuable track position. Even so, it’s still a great day and a good recovery after a difficult qualifying session yesterday. This result helps our fourth position in the championship and continues my record of always scoring points in Singapore.”

ESTEBAN OCON

“I am not happy to come away with just tenth place, but at least we’re leaving behind a very difficult weekend – it’s not the best way to celebrate my birthday. I made a very good start, but I struggled on both the wet tyres and the intermediates. This wasn’t the case in Monza, where I was much more comfortable in the rain, but something wasn’t working and I don’t know why. This dragged me behind some slower cars. After the track had dried, I had good pace but I just couldn’t overtake the cars I was chasing. It’s just very difficult to find an overtaking opportunity here. It’s good to rescue a point in the end, but we wanted much more than that. We have to analyse what went wrong and come back stronger in Malaysia.”

ROBERT FERNLEY, DEPUTY TEAM PRINCIPAL

“We made the most of an incident-filled race to score points with both cars. We started on the full wet tyres, which were the correct tyres for the early laps, but the rain eased off sooner than expected and the track came towards the cars on intermediates. We had to react quickly to the various safety car periods and the pit wall made the right calls to ensure we were always on the right tyres for the conditions. We lost out during the second safety car period, which cost both drivers track position – Esteban more so than Sergio. From there both drivers recovered ground, but it wasn’t easy to overtake. Sergio had a long battle with Sainz and Esteban was fighting with Magnussen and Grosjean. Considering where we started the race, to come away with eleven points is a very satisfactory end to the weekend.”

McLaren

Stoffel Vandoorne finished seventh and brought home six valuable world championship points for McLaren Honda at the end of a long and chaotic Singapore Grand Prix.

The race was started in rainy conditions, which contributed to a Turn One accident that left a fast-starting Fernando Alonso with significant damage to his car. Despite soldiering on for a couple of laps, the car was too badly damaged to continue and Fernando was forced to retire.

Stoffel took avoiding action to miss the first-lap crash, but was able to consolidate his position inside the top 10. He always looked competitive on-track whether running in the wet or dry, and was set to challenge for the top six until being delayed during a slow pit-stop on lap 27.

Seventh was a solid reward for both his and the team’s efforts all weekend.

FERNANDO ALONSO

“My start was brilliant. The car did an amazing launch and I managed to gain several positions, up to third place, but after that we were in the wrong place at the wrong time. I wasn’t aware of what was happening on the inside, all I know is that at Turn One some cars crashed and hit us. In that situation, you are just a passenger, there’s nothing you can do.

“Unfortunately, that hit was too much for our car. From the cockpit you don’t understand how much damage there is, but the car didn’t feel great, it had a lot of oversteer so I asked the team what was the damage but they were not completely sure because they’d lost the telemetry. At the end, we had some electrical problems and we had to stop.

“These things sometimes happen in motor racing and unfortunately it happened to us today. We had so much hope for this race, and in wet conditions we are very strong so the disappointment is even bigger.

“Despite my disappointment this evening, it’s actually been a positive and fun weekend - the team has done an outstanding job and I’ll be hoping for better luck in Sepang in a fortnight’s time.”

STOFFEL VANDOORNE

“That was definitely an eventful race!

“To race under the rain at the beginning was definitely not easy, so my main focus was just to stay out of trouble, which we managed to do. From that point on, I just managed my own race.

“I think seventh place was really the best it was going to get for me today. Sixth was perhaps on the cards at one point, but it didn’t work out at my second pit-stop. After that, i just focused on getting everything I could from the car and maximising the performance.

“Getting a couple of points means we finish our weekend on a high.”

ERIC BOULLIER

“When the heavens opened shortly before the start, we knew this was going to be an exciting and unpredictable Singapore Grand Prix - and so it proved to be.

“Through it all, Stoffel finished a magnificent seventh, battling throughout and really maximising the potential of our car whether he was running Full Wets, Intermediates or Option tyres.

“We think sixth was within our reach had he not been delayed at his second pit-stop. The front jack failed to engage properly, which meant the left-front wheel wasn’t lifted off the floor properly, which resulted in a slow removal. That delay meant he wasn’t able to close on [Jolyon] Palmer despite a spirited chase.

“It was a phenomenally disappointing day for Fernando. He’d made a brilliant start in the wet conditions but was harpooned by Verstappen’s car at Turn One. It was a significant impact, one which tore open the bodywork, damaged the floor and, ultimately, holed an exhaust.

“We were able to assess the initial damage as he passed through the pits behind the Safety Car, but, at racing speeds, it became immediately apparent that he couldn’t continue. We had to retire the car shortly afterwards.

“Despite failing to get one car to the finish through no fault of our own, this was a positive day for the whole team. We may not be as competitive around the fast sweeps of Malaysia, but this result will serve to remind us all that we can race hard at the front whenever the slightest opportunity presents itself.”

YUSUKE HASEGAWA

“The heavy rain that began just before the start made today’s race enormously difficult for us.

“Although Fernando made a great start, he was involved in an unfortunate incident at Turn One and ultimately retired on lap eight due to the inflicted damage. I think he would have been able to race with the frontrunners if he had continued, so it was very disappointing for everyone in the team.

“Stoffel’s pace was competitive and he drove incredibly well, including overtaking his rivals on a track that is notoriously hard to pass on. He eventually crossed the line in seventh, his best result of the season, taking more precious points for the team. He did a great job today.

“Although we had the package to finish today’s race in a better position without incident, it was still a positive step forward for the team that we were able to bring one car home in the top 10.”

Haas

The 10th running of the Singapore Grand Prix Sunday night at Marina Bay Street Circuit began with a bang as a multicar accident at the start jettisoned both the Scuderia Ferraris of Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen, along with the Red Bull of Max Verstappen, to the garage before completing a single lap.

The lights-out chaos allowed Haas F1 Team driver Kevin Magnussen to vault from his 16th-place starting spot to 10th while teammate Romain Grosjean held steady in 15th, wheeling his Haas VF-17 unscathed through the debris field. Grosjean rallied to come home ninth and bring in valuable points while Magnussen suffered a DNF (Did Not Finish) and was classified 13th.

Even before the race went green, a dicey start was a foregone conclusion as rain enveloped the 5.065-kilometer (3.147-mile), 23-turn track, marking the first Singapore Grand Prix to be run in the wet.

Magnussen opted to start on the Pirelli Cinturato Blue full wet tire while Grosjean went with the Cinturato Green intermediate tire.

With the safety car pacing the field for the race’s first four laps after the contretemps at the start, no one pitted for slicks as the racing surface remained wet, even as the rain abated. But as the race wore on, the track began to dry, forcing drivers and teams to debate when it was time to ditch the rain tires for slicks.

But as that decision was being weighed, the racing continued amid the treacherous conditions.

This was on display on lap 11 when Magnussen was being pursued by the Toro Rosso of Daniil Kvyat. Kvyat passed Magnussen for 10th off turn five, only to return the position to Magnussen when he aquaplaned going into turn seven, nosing into the barrier.

The resulting safety car period allowed Magnussen to duck into the pits and swap his full wet tires for a new set of intermediates. Grosjean, meanwhile, stayed out, picking up four spots to climb to 11th.

When the race went back to green on lap 15, Grosjean was 11th and Magnussen was 14th.

As a dry groove developed and the rooster tails from cars dissipated, the intermediate tires became more of a hindrance than a help. Nonetheless, on-track battles continued, with Grosjean breaking into the top-10 for the first time on lap 16 after passing the Williams of Felipe Massa. Then Magnussen put on a passing performance, getting past Massa on lap 16 and the Force India of Esteban Ocon on lap 17 to rise to 11th.

Magnussen was the first driver in the race to pit for slicks. He came to the service of his crew on lap 24, whereupon new Pirelli P Zero Purple ultrasoft tires – the grippiest compound in Pirelli’s lineup – were installed on his Haas VF-17.

The rest of the Formula One paddock paid close attention to Magnussen’s lap times, as he quickly began setting the race’s fastest laps. The initial strategy call by Haas F1 Team was now being emulated up and down the pit lane, with teams calling their drivers to the pits for slicks.

Magnussen’s quick laps allowed him to leapfrog Grosjean for 10th on lap 28 after Grosjean also made the switch to ultrasofts, rejoining the race in 11th.

Grosjean made his way past Magnussen on lap 33 to take 10th, allowing Ocon to also seize the opportunity to advance, picking up 11th on the following lap as Magnussen fell to 12th.

The safety car emerged again on lap 38 when Marcus Ericsson spun his Sauber at Anderson Bridge. Magnussen took advantage of the opportunity and pitted for a new set of ultrasofts. Grosjean stayed out, but with Nico Hulkenberg pitting his Renault, it allowed Grosjean to claim ninth.

The race returned to green for the final time on lap 42, and with all the delays, the Singapore Grand Prix became a timed event, hitting its two-hour limit instead of its 61-lap distance.

Grosjean began the final charge to the finish in ninth while Magnussen was 13th. The final 30 minutes of the race saw Grosjean maintain his position to earn his seventh point-paying result of the season. Magnussen, meanwhile, rose to 12th when Hulkenberg was forced to retire his racecar with 13 minutes left in the contest, but the position was eventually relinquished when Magnussen was called to the garage with 10 minutes remaining due to an electrical issue on his Haas VF-17.

Winning the Singapore Grand Prix was three-time Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton. The Mercedes driver scored his 60th career Formula One victory, his seventh of the season and third in a row. It was his third Singapore Grand Prix win, second only to Vettel’s four. Hamilton’s margin of victory was a stout 4.507 seconds over Red Bull’s Daniel Ricciardo. The triumph, combined with Vettel’s DNF, allowed Hamilton to open up a substantial 28-point advantage in the championship standings after coming into Singapore with just a three-point lead over Vettel.

Fourteen rounds into the 20-race Formula One schedule, Haas F1 Team is eighth in the constructors standings with 37 points, 20 points ahead of ninth-place McLaren and five points behind seventh-place Renault and 15 points arrears sixth-place Toro Rosso. Grosjean and Magnussen remain 13th and 14th, respectively, in the championship driver standings. Grosjean has 26 points and Magnussen has 11 points.

Six races are left in the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship, with the next event coming Sept. 29-Oct. 1 with the Malaysia Grand Prix at Sepang Circuit.

Romain Grosjean

“I’m very happy for all of us, especially after a difficult weekend where we knew we didn’t really have the pace. We chose to start on intermediates, which was ballsy. It was tricky, initially. After everyone pitted, it was the right tire to be on, so I was pretty happy with my choice. We swapped to the slicks maybe one lap too late. I think Kevin did a better job than I did in pitting for the ultrasofts.

“From there I had a strong battle. I tried to go for (Lance) Stroll. He hit the wall once and I thought that was it, but it wasn’t hard enough to get any damage, so he kept going and didn’t make any other mistakes, so I couldn’t pass. Mentally it was a tough race. The conditions were horrendous, initially. You couldn’t see anything. I’m very happy we’ve scored points here.”

Kevin Magnussen

“I was gutted not to see the checkered flag. It’s very frustrating, but it happens sometimes. It was tough out there, but it was fun. It was challenging, but good on Formula One for letting us race and not having to start behind a safety car.

“I was getting heat into my tires again, because obviously I’d gotten out early on the tires and lost a bit of temperature, so they were building up. I was asked to swap, then I lost another position letting Romain past and getting wet tires. Then we had an issue, so in the end it didn’t matter.”

Gunther Steiner

“To go away with two points here, for sure we worked hard for it, but we didn’t expect it. All in all, we got a bit of a good end to this. On the other side, we’re now eighth in the championship and not seventh. Coming in here we knew these things could happen, but we will fight hard to get back to seventh. Our drivers, our whole team, did a good job. There was nothing wrong with our strategy today. We always reacted very well. Both drivers kept the cars safe. Kevin would’ve brought his home but he had an electronics issue. We’ll investigate that and why we had to shut it down. Romain did a good job and came home ninth with two points. We keep on going.”

Williams

— Lance Stroll finished eighth with Felipe Massa 11th in the Singapore Grand Prix
— Rain started to fall shortly before the race, making this year’s Singapore GP Formula One’s first ever wet night race
— Lance started on the intermediate tyre with Felipe opting to start on the extreme wet
— On lap 1, Lance jumped to P13 with Felipe P14 following a multi-car incident at the start, resulting in the first of several safety car periods
— Lance made his one-stop onto ultrasoft tyres on lap 26, driving a solid race up to P8 on his debut at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
— Felipe had to switch to intermediates before moving to dry tyres, but was one of the first to switch to the ultrasofts, re-joining in P14
— Felipe made the most of a late safety car period, where he pitted for a fresh set of ultrasoft tyres, and worked his way up to P11
— Felipe is 11th in the Drivers’ Championship, ahead of Lance in 12th. The team remains fifth in the Constructors’ Championship with 59 points

Paddy Lowe, Chief Technical Officer

After a poor qualifying it’s great to come out of another race with some points on the board. It was looking like it would be an interesting race as soon as the rain came in. We have never had rain for the race in Singapore and it was remarkably persistent. Lance chose to start on the intermediate tyre in P18 with Felipe opting for the extreme wet in P17. Unfortunately, along with a few other drivers, the full wet turned out to be the wrong choice. There was a big incident at the start which helped us gain some places. In Lance’s case he drove a great race. He was one of the earliest to stop for dry tyres and he had good pace on the ultrasoft, taking the advantages at every stage. He put up a good defence as well, particularly towards the end, and managed to get an excellent eighth place for his first finish in Singapore; one of the toughest races on the Formula One calendar. Congratulations to him for achieving that, he’ll be very proud of himself for holding steady and driving so well throughout the whole two-hour race. On Felipe’s side, he drove well throughout the whole evening, but really the mistake was made at the beginning and it was impossible to unwind from that extra stop that we needed to make. We hoped to jump straight from the full wet to the dry tyre, which is why we tried to stay out longer in the first stint, but we missed that window by a few laps and he had to make an extra stop for intermediates, which really ruined his race. Nevertheless, it was a good drive from P17 to P11, to finish just outside the points. Congratulations to the team as well, to bring two cars home is a really important achievement in a race of such high attrition. Our reliability was good and we collected some valuable points in the Championship.

Lance Stroll

I think it was a fantastic race. It was raining at the beginning so to capitalise on the start, overtake, and really come through the field due to others making mistakes was fantastic in tricky conditions. Then after that, we ran a steady race. We kept cool. I made one mistake letting Vandoorne by. I just locked up into Turn 7 and he got past but all-in-all, a fantastic result and four points for the team.

Felipe Massa

I’m disappointed with my race. First of all, I started on the wrong tyres which was my decision, but I think in that moment you never know what is going to happen. Many cars decided the same as me, some others different, it was my mistake. Then I was nowhere on the track, I was very slow. When the safety car was out I asked to stop but the team decided to stay out. They were saying that maybe the track would dry. I was at the back so it was my only chance in the race. In the end, I stayed out. I was so slow and my race was finished. I’m disappointed for my race but not for the team because Lance managed to score points. At the end, it could have been worse, looking at where we started the race, so not bad for the team but a disaster for me.

Red Bull

DANIEL RICCIARDO

“The rain made it all pretty hectic today. Everyone was in the same boat though and we hadn’t driven in the wet here before so it’s all about switching on early, being aware of the situation and trying to adapt as quick as you can. My start was quite slow off the line. In hindsight probably a good thing, because it allowed the chaos to unfold in front of me. Then in the first few laps I felt we were okay in the wet but then I felt we were a bit harsh on the tyres. Even when we pitted and had fresher tyres, we couldn’t really make an impact on Lewis. The team was asking me to manage the gears through the race and after I learned we had a leak and were losing oil pressure in the gearbox from early on. Of course I came here to win and really wanted it, but second place is great and I’m not going to complain about it.”

MAX VERSTAPPEN

“My start was a little bit better than Seb and I think he saw that so he tried to move to the left to squeeze me out of the line a bit but he did not know Kimi was on my other side. I think it wasn’t the smartest move and you can’t make excuses for it when you are fighting for a world championship. Kimi had a great start and was alongside me very quickly, I didn’t try and defend that as I knew it would be a long race, he then started to squeeze me also, at which point there wasn’t a lot I could do. The rear wheels are wider than the front so I was locked in the sandwich with no way out, even when I braked. If I made a mistake myself I would be upset or angry but there was nothing I could do today. We all lost out in the end so we all experienced some pain rather than someone making a mistake and then being able to carry on. We have to take the positives from the weekend, we were quick in qualifying and the practice sessions with good potential going into the race, we can hold onto this and move on to the next race.”

CHRISTIAN HORNER, Team Principal

“It was enormously frustrating to lose Max at the start of the race, in an incident that quite clearly had nothing to do with him. Sebastian moving to the left, Kimi moving to the right sandwiched Max and there was nowhere for him to go. Then, after the re-start, Daniel started to lose an awful lot of gearbox oil, which created a lot of problems with oil pressure, and we were feeling that it was looking unlikely that Daniel would get to the end of the race. However he managed to nurse the gearbox of the car incredibly well for three-quarters of the grand prix, and though able to hold off any threat from behind from Valtteri, unfortunately he could not attack Lewis ahead. So it has been another second place for us in Singapore, but a strong podium to take away considering how things were looking after the first 15 laps.”

Sauber

The Sauber F1 Team finished the Singapore Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Street Circuit in P12 (Pascal Wehrlein). Marcus Ericsson did not see the chequered flag after spinning out of the race on lap 35. It was the first race in the history of the Singapore Grand Prix to be driven in wet conditions.

Marcus Ericsson

“It was a difficult race for me today, especially due to the weather conditions we had to work with here in Singapore. I had an ok pace in the beginning, and was able to keep up with my direct competition. I then lost a lot of time due to an incident in one of the pitstops. I was pushing hard to make up for lost time, and went a bit over the limit. Unfortunately, that caused me to spin out of the race. Overall, a disappointment.”

Pascal Wehrlein

“It was quite a chaotic race for me. As the track slowly started to dry, we decided to stay out on wet tyres and wait for the opportunity to change to a set of dry tyres, as soon as the track conditions would allow. However, the track did not dry up as quickly as we had anticipated, and the change to intermediate tyres was too late. Later on during the race, I lost more and more time due to many consecutive blue flags.”

Frédéric Vasseur, Team Principal

“It was a tough race for us. Both of the drivers were on wet tyres when we split their strategies – Marcus changed to intermediates. Pascal was still running on wet tyres, as we were waiting to put him onto the dry compound. Unfortunately, the track did not dry up as quickly as we expected it to. He lost a lot of time due to several blue flags later on during the race. During Marcus’ pitstop, there was a system error, which led to miscommunication. Overall, a very disappointing race for us. The procedures have to be revised to avoid repeating such situations in the future.”

Renault

Renault Sport Formula One Team moved ahead to seventh position in the Constructors’ Championship and driver Jolyon Palmer posted his F1 career best result finishing sixth at the Singapore Grand Prix.

The first wet evening race in Formula 1 was full of drama and Jolyon drove a solid race, capitalized on the wet conditions and safety cars to earn a valuable eight points for the team. After an incident involving cars ahead at the start of the race, driver Nico Hülkenberg swiftly avoided the drama and advanced four positions in the first lap. Fortunes didn’t favour Nico as his car had an oil leak and was force to retire for preventative measures before the end of the race.

— Nico started the race from P7 on a new set of Wet (blue) Pirelli tyres which he ran for twelve laps before switching to Intermediates (green) under the safety car. He pitted again under another safety car, this time switching to Ultrasoft (purple) tyres.
— Jolyon started the race from P11 on a set of Wet tyres, pitting after eleven laps under a safety car, switching to Intermediates which he ran for twenty-nine laps before pitting for a set of Ultrasofts.

Nico Hülkenberg

“It was a very disappointing race, you put in a lot of hard work throughout the weekend and then these things happen. It’s not great but it is a technical sport and a team sport. Unfortunately we had some technical issues with the engine and we had to retire the car.”

Jolyon Palmer

“I’m so happy, it’s been a long time coming but today everything fell into place. It was a tricky race with the drama at the start and the heavy rain but the circumstances put us in a good place to score some points. We had a good strategy, good pit stops and the car was good in the wet conditions. The next race should be even better.”

Cyril Abiteboul, Managing Director

“Tonight’s race was exciting and full of action with the rain and many safety cars - as it’s often the case in Singapore. We walk away with mixed feelings. On a positive note, Jolyon was able to get into the points for the first time this season and achieve his best result ever in F1. Despite the circumstances, he drove an error-free race on a night where it would have been easy to make many. He was able to help the team in its progress for the Constructors’ Championship, we now sit in seventh place and closer to reaching our goal for fifth position. The final races are well suited for our cars and our target remains unchanged.

On the other hand, we feel very sorry and I want to apologize to Nico for having to retire his car. We had an oil leak which translated in his car having to take a performance penalty in the earlier part of the race and even tried an intervention during a long pit stop. Despite all our attempts and a great teamwork from all his car wouldn’t have made it to the end so we retired for preventative measures.”

Toro Rosso

Carlos Sainz

“WOW! What a day, what a result! I’d say this is probably my best day in Formula 1 up until now! After a weekend with so much media attention, to put together a perfect weekend and finish the race in P4 is just amazing. To start the race on intermediate tyres, then switch to the supersoft - where I struggled a bit during the first laps - and then make it to the end without losing positions is just the perfect way to celebrate a difficult weekend…it’s definitely one I will always remember! I have to say that the most difficult part of the race for me was the start of my stint on the supersoft – it was not easy at all! I tried to do my best during the out-lap but Hulkenberg managed to overcut me… Luckily for me he then had a problem and from then onwards it was all about defending from Checo, who had been faster than us on Friday and also was on ultras! It was very difficult to keep him behind, looking in my mirrors the whole time, but in the end we did it! I had my flight booked to go back home tonight, but I’m definitely cancelling this – we need to celebrate this excellent result all together, this team have also done an amazing job this weekend… Thank you!”

Daniil Kvyat

“What a shame. Unfortunately I made a mistake and missed a good opportunity of scoring a good result today. I managed to overtake Magnussen and straight after that I locked my front wheel and went straight into the wall… I didn’t expect this to happen so. It’s very disappointing, but this is how it is sometimes.”

Franz Tost (Team Principal)

“What a fantastic result today, we’ve equaled our best race result since our win in Monza 2008, another P4! Carlos did a fantastic job, keeping everything under control in a difficult situation at the beginning of the race, going through a long and demanding race and bringing home a fourth position finish and 12 points. The team also did a fantastic job in all aspects. As for our decision to go on supersofts, we did this because we thought this would have given us an advantage towards the end of the race. However, with the Safety Car and tyre warm-up, this call was not without its challenges, but it worked out in the end. The mechanics were very good, delivering fast pit stops, and I’d like to thank the whole team because we’ve all worked very hard for this fantastic result. We’ve taken our chances today, been aggressive and not been afraid to try something different and this has paid off here. This now makes us all very happy and in a very positive mood before travelling to the next Grand Prix in Malaysia in two weeks’ time.”

Mercedes

Silver Arrows convert third row start into a double podium in Singapore

— Lewis took his 60th F1 victory – his third in Singapore and seventh of the 2017 season
— Valtteri finished in P3, his best result in Singapore and his tenth podium of the season
— Lewis completed the fastest lap of the Grand Prix in the first ever wet night race
— Today’s result is 73rd F1 win for the Silver Arrows and the ninth of the 2017 season
— Lewis (263 points) extends the lead in the Drivers’ Championship to 28 points from Sebastian Vettel (235 points), with Valtteri (212 points) a further 23 points behind in P3
— Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport (475 points) lead Ferrari (373 points) by 102 points in the Constructors’ Championship
— Paul Mills, Human Resources Director, accepted the Constructors’ trophy for the Team

Lewis Hamilton

What a day – I can’t believe it, I’m so happy! I came in today and I saw that I was raining and I knew that this balances everything out. I love racing in the rain, then everything unfolded in the beginning. Starting on the Intermediates I thought it was going to be much closer pace-wise. These conditions give you the opportunity to really make a difference with your driving. It was the first time for all of us driving here in the rain, so it was a massive challenge. But I love that when you have to rise to the toughest of challenges, that’s the most exciting part for me. Then it was all about staying focused and not making any mistakes. We came to a track that was potentially our weakest circuit and we leave with a win like this and so many points – that’s a very fortunate scenario for us. Valtteri also did a great job, so to have all these constructors’ points is awesome.

Valtteri Bottas

Today shows that anything is possible - that is racing! I think under normal circumstances it would have been extremely difficult for us to be on the podium. But today, everything really came to us, and we got very lucky. In the dry, the car was performing better than expected and the pace was very good for Lewis and me; in the wet, I struggled a bit more than him. It’s nice to bring a trophy home after what has been a tricky weekend for me. But all in all it was a nearly perfect race for us as a team. There are still six races to go so everything is still wide open. We have been struggling quite a bit this weekend, so we need to make sure we learn from it for the future.

Toto Wolff

We woke up this morning talking about little else than damage limitation; we leave Singapore this evening with a bigger lead in both championships. This was one of those days that reminds you what an unbelievable sport motor racing can be. And reminds you, too, that the points are only scored on Sunday. Of course, it goes without saying that we got a big slice of luck today. Not only did we avoid the chaos at Turn One but we also escaped without damage to both cars. After that, though, we had to make the most of the opportunity that had been presented to us – and out-race a very fast Red Bull. Lewis did that brilliantly, showing good race pace on both types of tyre, while Valtteri picked his way back through the field to the podium. So the emotions tonight are very different to what we felt 24 hours ago - but this result doesn’t change a thing in the big picture. If anything, it’s a stark reminder that there are six more opportunities for the luck to go against us this season, just as it happened to Ferrari today. We will celebrate our result this evening but, after that, it will be full focus on the next challenges ahead.

James Allison

In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one. Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport – and that you never know what might happen. After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift. But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn’t be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it. This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race.

Ferrari

The worst possible result, even harder to swallow because the fact that Sebastian Vettel took pole on Saturday with Kimi Raikkonen on the second row, clearly demonstrated Scuderia Ferrari’s potential on the tricky Marina Bay circuit. Sadly, it all came to an end on the run down to the first corner, when Seb, on the right hand side of the track, was ahead of Max Verstappen, with Kimi coming alongside the Red Bull driver on his left. It led to a multiple collision that left all three of them on foot and out of the race. Later that evening, the Race Stewards ruled that no one driver was to blame and therefore no one was penalised. But it means that, for the first time this season, Scuderia Ferrari has left a race having failed to score any points. Now, the team needs to react, making the most of every opportunity presented in the remaining six rounds. That fight back will begin in Malaysia in a fortnight’s time.

Maurizio Arrivabene

“That was very disappointing and it was definitely not the result we were expecting. But it doesn’t mean that the battle is all over, just that it has become more difficult. We are very disappointed for our fans, but we will be back. We proved that we have an excellent car and two great drivers. All of us, those here in Singapore today and those working back in Maranello, we all have the Prancing Horse stamped on our hearts and we guarantee that we will be fighting right to the final corner of the very last Grand Prix of the year.”

Sebastian Vettel

“I had an average start and then I moved slightly to the left trying to defend my position from Max. Then I got bumped on one side as Kimi’s car hit me. I’m not sure what happened. I span at turn 3, but that’s because the car was damaged already. Today we were on the wrong side of the track, which doesn’t help. But there is nothing we can do now and for sure it is bitter, and it’s a pity we couldn’t show our pace today; but we have other races ahead of us and I am sure there will be more opportunities for us.”

Kimi Raikkonen

“At the start I had a very good jump, then I got hit; that was the end of our race. I don’t think I could have really done anything differently to avoid it, apart from doing a bad start and not being there. It’s a pity, one of those things you pay a big price for. Whatever the cause or the issue, it doesn’t change the end result unfortunately. We go to the next races ready to fight and do our best.”