What Singapore Taught Us About Sergio Perez - King Of The Streets

Sergio Perez was the surprising winner of this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix, on a weekend when his steady driving saw him through a crazy and chaotic race.

It was a day on which many of F1's biggest names only had themselves to blame for dropping out of contention for the win, and Perez was the standout of the frontrunners in a race he led start to finish.

After a tough period for the Mexican driver, it was a reminder of just how good the Red Bull man can be.

Singapore F1 GP: Sergio Perez shines through the chaos

Early in the season, it looked as though Sergio Perez was going to be able to keep pace with his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen, as he claimed a pole position and podium in the opening three rounds, and was unlucky not to win in Jeddah.

The Mexican driver has seen a dramatic drop-off in form since winning May's Monaco Grand Prix, however, which has left him over 100 points behind his world champion teammate. He has looked a bit lost in recent races, taking only one podium from the previous six races prior to Singapore. In those same six races, Verstappen finished first on five occasions.

He came into the Singapore weekend under a bit of scrutiny. His performances at the start of the year had given way to inconsistency, and the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Carlos Sainz had been more impressive performers since Monaco.

From the get-go in Singapore, "Checo" was absolutely on it.

Checo nailed his launch, and never looked back! 🚀#SingaporeGP #F1 @SChecoPerez @redbullracing pic.twitter.com/Mt8uOFHZ9e

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022

The Mexican took a front row start in tricky conditions on Saturday, with teammate Max Verstappen left fuming with his Red Bull team after a mishap with his fuel left him in P8. With Verstappen needing a big helping hand if he was to be in contention to win, it fell to Sergio Perez to lead the Red Bull charge from P2.

He instantly took the lead from Charles Leclerc at turn one - before holding that lead for the entire race.

It was a win which Perez himself called the best of his career. His previous three, in Monaco this year, Baku last, and his unforgettable last-to-first charge in Sakhir in 2020, all came with the helping hand of misfortune for others.

Monaco 2022 saw Ferrari blunder the strategy and throw away a certain race win for Charles Leclerc, while Baku last year was one of only two races where both Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen failed to finish in the top 10. Sakhir 2020 was one of the most unique races in F1 history, and one which Perez had to fight for - but this win was altogether more impressive.

Perez led assuredly from the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc, which looked faster for significant portions of the race, particularly during the first few laps on dry tyres. Despite the pressure from Leclerc - and the nerves of a post-race investigation for a safety car infringement - Perez held firm.

From lights to flag 🏁 Leading every single lap of the #SingaporeGP 🇸🇬pic.twitter.com/Yb0SiGDDUy

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 3, 2022

It was, humourously, the kind of win we have become accustomed to from Perez's teammate Verstappen. It was not necessarily "dominant" - he was under pressure for much of the race - but it never felt hugely in doubt. He had an answer for just about everything Ferrari and Mercedes threw at him, and was full worth for his fourth F1 race win.

The win came on a difficult weekend for Red Bull, with off-track allegations and issues plaguing them in the buildup, and Verstappen having his worst race weekend in recent memory.

For many of the past few weeks, Sergio Perez has been living in Verstappen's shadow, as the Dutchman romped his way to five consecutive wins, and an enormous championship lead.

When given the chance to cruise to a win himself on Sunday, Perez did not let the team down - proving that his recent mishaps can be seen as nothing but a blip in what has been a solid season. He is now just two points off P2 in the drivers' championship, and could cap an excellent season for Red Bull if he can fight past Charles Leclerc.

Celebrations in Singapore for Checo's first-ever win at Marina Bay! ❤️🤍🇸🇬#SingaporeGP #F1 @redbullracing @SChecoPerez pic.twitter.com/hPzgfRTPKK

— Formula 1 (@F1) October 2, 2022

Perez's win cemented him as one of the best street circuit drivers on the grid. He is only the second man to win at both Monaco and Singapore in the same season, and his other win last year at Baku was fully deserved.

As previously mentioned, he was unlucky not to win after taking a brilliant pole in Jeddah earlier this season - he will only be disappointed that there are no street circuits left for the remainder of the season.

It was a rare day when the uber-reliable Max Verstappen faltered, and Red Bull needed Sergio Perez to step up to the plate. He not only did that, but smashed it out of the park, on what may be his finest ever day in Formula 1 (five second time penalties aside...)

Wrapping up from the Singapore Grand Prix

• Driver of the day: Checo ran a terrific race out in front, but this one goes to Sebastian Vettel. The Aston Martin man made one of the most spectacular starts of the season to jump five positions on lap one, and was unlucky both in terms of strategy, and that Verstappen managed to squeeze past for P7 on the final lap. The Lion of Singapore roared one last time.
• Day to forget: He's been one of the drivers of the year, but George Russell had an absolute stinker at Marina Bay. A poor qualifying, coupled with two collisions on race day that were his fault, made it comfortably his worst race of the season - given he's been in the top five in every other race he's finished, you can forgive him an off day.
• The big question ahead of round #18: Will we have another champion crowned in Japan? There's something strange about the Japanese Grand Prix. Despite not being the last race of the season for quite some time now, the world championship has been clinched at the track 12 times in the past, most recently by Vettel in 2011. A win and fastest lap for Max Verstappen on Sunday will see him crowned 2022 champion of the world.

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