A pole position for six challengers
The Singapore Grand Prix weekend continues as it began: a Ferrari in the lead, Red Bull doesn’t seem capable of creating the usual gap behind, and there’s a perception of performance leveling that we perhaps haven’t truly seen in this 2023 season. Based on the data collected in the third free practice session, there are at least six drivers who can aspire to the pole position, namely the two Ferraris, Lando Norris with the updated McLaren, the two Mercedes, and, of course, not to be excluded, Max Verstappen, although this time, he doesn’t start as the usual favorite.
In the morning session at Marina Bay, Carlos Sainz set the fastest time, still in excellent form, seeming to have the car completely under control – an SF23 that’s beautiful and fast in a single lap, confirming its good balance and responsiveness, fast on the straights, and good in traction thanks to a low setup and an effective rear (although not glued to the ground). Leclerc had more trouble finding the right feeling with the car and the track but had moments of great speed and appears capable of confidently playing his cards on a track that he himself has declared he enjoys very much. Sainz’s data shows a very strong Ferrari in the central sector, especially in turns 7 and 8, and in the final sector, particularly at turns 16-17.
Max’s problems
It’s noticeable that Verstappen still has overall performance issues, with the gap starting to increase at turn 7 and then steadily rising with almost every single turn, a sign that the car doesn’t instill the right confidence in its driver, especially during braking. The impression is that if Max wants to extend his positive streak, he’ll have to perform something close to a miracle this time. From the data, we also see Lando Norris’s great potential, especially in the very strong first sector that his McLaren in the “C” version seems to possess. Among all, however, Mercedes seems to deserve great attention. George Russell continues to show himself particularly fast in the central sector, and the car seems slower on the straights but capable of generating a lot of vertical load even in the final sector, with the Briton being the only one to gain on Carlos Sainz in the last meters of the lap. The Brackley team has shown a very well-rounded car so far and seems to have the potential to think big as well.
Alonso: Watch out for race pace
In addition to the six drivers mentioned so far, of course, we will have Sergio Perez, who appears to be further behind than Max Verstappen but still has a Red Bull at his disposal, and Fernando Alonso, who has had some difficulties so far on a single lap but is worth keeping an eye on, given his talent and the performance we saw him deliver in the race pace simulation during the second free practice.
In short, the ingredients are those of an uncertain and spectacular qualifying session on a track where getting close to the walls and taking real risks is crucial, and opportunities for overtaking are scarce. Seeing Red Bull not shining as usual opens the possibility for those starting at the front to really go for it, making qualifying even more crucial, a truly unique opportunity this year.
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