By Robert Haile

After taking pole position Carlos Sainz has claimed his second career victory on the streets of Singapore.

The win around the Marina Bay Circuit is the first from a non-Red Bull driver as the current championship leader Max Verstappen had to settle for fifth.

Sainz had to hold off the challenge of McLaren’s Lando Norris and charging Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who crashed on the last lap.

The Spanish race winner, Sainz said: “It has been an incredible weekend right from the start. The team deserves this win for the enormous work they have done both here and in Maranello and I’m proud to dedicate it to all of them and the tifosi.

“We executed the weekend perfectly on my side and I think we managed the final thrilling part to perfection, giving Lando (Norris) DRS and controlling the pace all race long. Of course, pitting earlier meant we had to make our tyres last for a longer stint and the final laps were on the limit, but I’m extremely happy we made it work.

“Tonight we celebrate, but from tomorrow we’ll start preparing Suzuka. Let’s keep it up.”

Having kept the lead at the start as Charles Leclerc jumped into second Sainz also held off his teammate at the Safety Car restarts after Williams’ Logan Sargeant crashed and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon came to a stop on the track.

Sainz and Norris held onto first and second as Mercedes’ Hamilton and Russell used Ocon’s Virtual Safety Car to fit fresh tyres which almost paid off with pair passing Leclerc for third and fourth before Russell hit the barrier giving Hamilton third and Leclerc fourth.

Red Bull’s Verstappen had to settle for fifth with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly sixth, McLaren’s Oscar Piastri recovered to seventh and Sergio Perez in his 250th Grand Prix finished eighth for Red Bull but is under investigation for an incident with Williams’ Alex Albon.

AlphaTauri might have found one of their drivers for next season as Liam Lawson in his third Grand Prix has not only made it to the top ten shootout but took his first points in ninth with Kevin Magnussen’s Haas in tenth.

Albon finished in eleventh, Alfa Romeo’s Zhou Guanyu took twelfth with Haas’ Nico Hulkenberg in thirteenth.

After his trip to the barrier Sargeant continued to finish fourteenth with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso in fifteenth and last.

Russell joined Ocon, Alfa Romeo’s Valtteri Bottas and AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda in not finishing the race as Lance Stroll was withdrawn by Aston Martin after his heavy crash in qualifying.

Max Verstappen’s lead is increased to 151 points ahead of his teammate Sergio Perez in the Drivers Championship with Lewis Hamilton 43 points off Perez in third.

The Constructors Championship has Red Bull 308 points ahead of Mercedes in second with Ferrari in third 24 points behind.

The Asian trip for Formula One continues as they season heads to Suzuka for the Japanese Grand Prix on September 22-24.