F1: A violent accident for Lance Stroll, a disaster for Red Bull

Posted On: September 16, 2023

Quebec driver Lance Stroll was the victim of a serious accident on Saturday at the very end of the first phase of qualifying for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

The Quebecer crashed into the wall at the very end of a lap, but fortunately escaped uninjured.

Stroll lost control in the very last corner of the Marina Bay track.

The accident resulted in a red flag.

Championship leader Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Pérez have been in trouble since the start of the weekend and will start on Sunday at the Marina Bay city circuit well behind poleman Carlos Sainz.

The Dutchman only made it for the 11th time, ahead of his Mexican teammate Pérez, who only finished 13th. Worse still: The first driver even faces several penalties for impeding drivers on the track and in the pit lane.

The commissioners’ decisions are expected in the evening and could push the Batavian further back on Sunday.

This is the first time since the Russian GP in 2018 that no Red Bull competed in the final qualifying session where pole was at stake – and that only the ten fastest will start in the second qualifying session (where the Red Bulls were eliminated, Bull). can.

Earlier this season, Verstappen started 15th in Saudi Arabia – his worst performance of 2023 – due to a problem with his car. However, he finished the race second behind Pérez… A good omen for Sunday’s race?

Knowing that it is difficult to overtake in a race, the main concerned person does not believe it: “We don’t expect much for tomorrow, we can’t really overtake on this track and usually we have a rhythm advantage, but there will be “We don’t have it,” he complained on the Canal+ microphone.

Second pole in a row for Sainz

Red Bull’s setbacks make the competition happy. Starting with Ferrari and its driver Carlos Sainz, who took his second pole in a row on the hot Singapore night after winning in Italy at the beginning of September.

He feels very comfortable behind the wheel of his Ferrari and will start in third place on Sunday ahead of the Briton George Russell (Mercedes) and his teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc.

The Austrian team was relegated, “this is the best chance we have had of beating them since the start of the season,” Leclerc cheered.

Since the start of the season, Red Bull has won in each of the 14 races held so far.

On Sunday, the team also has its first theoretical chance of winning its second title in a row in the constructors’ world championship. However, to achieve this, the GP drivers would have to finish in the first two places.

If at the same time Mercedes, second in the championship, does not get a point (or only one, if Red Bull also gets back the point for the best time), Red Bull will be declared champions for the sixth time in its history.

However, this is an unlikely scenario. Then we would have to wait for the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka next weekend to see how Red Bull’s title chances increase.