Victors and vanquished from F1's Singapore Grand Prix

Loser: Lewis Hamilton

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Lando Norris, McLaren

Sitting in a crowded lounge at Ferrari's hospitality suite, team principal Fred Vasseur appeared somewhat cornered after facing a fresh wave of inquiries about the team's strategy in Singapore.

Ferrari seems to be an easy target for blame when it comes to race strategy, a reputation built on past experiences. However, away from the frenetic social media landscape, there was some rationale behind Ferrari's approach in Singapore. They split the strategies of soft-starter Charles Leclerc and medium-runner to exert pressure on Verstappen, and when that proved ineffective, they remained well-positioned for a potential double podium.

The primary issue was that the medium tyre performed poorly in Singapore, a reality McLaren acknowledged by equipping both drivers with softs, and perhaps something Ferrari could have foreseen as well. Consequently, the decision to bring Hamilton in from the worn medium tyre early became unavoidable.

The critical error came from Hamilton himself, who opted to remain out during a double-stack pit stop under a virtual safety car. Had he complied, the team might have easily secured second and third places, but instead, Hamilton bore the burden of finishing sixth after an excessively prolonged stint on soft tyres.

"Did you ask this many questions of McLaren yesterday?" Vasseur snapped.

Loser: Lando Norris

Lando Norris, McLaren, Oscar Piastri, McLaren

Actually... yes, Fred. We did!

This column generally emphasizes the outcomes on Sundays, and we don't want to inflate the significance of sprint races beyond their merit. Nonetheless, Saturday's collision on the final lap of the 20-lap sprint, resulting from a half-hearted lunge by Lando Norris at teammate Oscar Piastri, was an unwelcome reminder of the papaya rules saga and felt particularly unnecessary given the minimal stakes involved.

On Sunday, Norris seemed to exhibit more remorse and self-awareness, reflecting on his initial failed overtaking attempt on Hamilton as one of several poor choices he made throughout the weekend.

Team principal Stella remarked that the Norris he observed on Sunday—offering to assist in backing Hamilton into Piastri—was far closer to the version he wishes to see moving forward. However, the Italian also confirmed there will be additional discussions leading into the United States Grand Prix weekend to help the team move past Singapore.

"I can't attempt what I did," Norris told reporters after the race. "I should never have tried it in the first place, even if the move was on. I need to prioritize the team I represent over my own ambitions. It was a mistake on my part, and I let the team down."

Winner: Kimi Antonelli

Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes

When asked if he was pleased that Verstappen isn't much closer to him in the standings, Antonelli replied: "Yeah, I know, because it would be very frightening. It would be extremely scary."

Even as he stands on the brink of clinching the championship, which he could potentially secure in the upcoming race in Austin, Kimi Antonelli remains grounded.

What we witnessed earlier this season was the initial phase of Kimi Antonelli's maturation. Total domination from pole to finish with the top car in the field. The next stage emerged when he no longer had the fastest car and had to adopt a damage-limiting strategy that required greater maturity.

The 20-year-old's remarkable recovery drive in Baku already highlighted his growth, and similar resilience was evident in Malaysia and Singapore, even if it was less spectacular.

What's refreshing about the Italian talent is his refusal to resort to the usual cliché responses often heard from drivers in his position. "One race at a time, not thinking about the title yet, anything can happen."

Antonelli acknowledged that his first title is within reach now, using it as motivation to remain sharp and continue performing at his best rather than deluding himself into thinking it’s not real. "For sure. I know it's very close, I know it’s there," he stated.

"But I just need to ensure that I keep doing the best I can. This weekend I didn’t feel like I drove particularly well. I could have done a better job. But I feel confident that I have a week to reset. If I don’t perform well, the results won’t follow. So to achieve what I want, I need to deliver. It's as straightforward as that."

Loser: Honda

Lance Stroll, Aston Martin Racing

We all understand that Aston Martin is the obvious answer here, and regular readers are aware that we prefer not to keep piling on the same hard-working individuals when they’re down. Nevertheless, this is a circuit that should have favored the combination of the AMR26 and the Honda engine, but that’s irrelevant when the latter fails to perform as expected.

The entire weekend was plagued by power unit issues, preventing both Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll from genuinely competing, resulting in pitlane starts for both drivers from which they could not recover.

This was a disappointing follow-up to what had been a much more encouraging outing in Malaysia, which yielded points for Alonso, and other venues may not provide the same chances.