The 2023 Singapore Grand Prix was one of the most exciting races of the 2023 Formula 1 season, and it stood out for being the only race that the Red Bull driver didn’t win. Held at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on September 17, it was a race filled with surprises, as Red Bull, which had dominated all season, faced unexpected difficulties.

Max Verstappen, the championship leader, and his teammate Sergio Perez both struggled throughout the weekend. Red Bull's RB19, which had been near-perfect at almost every other track, seemed out of sync in Singapore. Both drivers had issues with the car's setup, and neither of them could find the pace needed to challenge for pole position.

Verstappen, who had been on a ten-race winning streak, was left frustrated as he qualified in only in 11th place, far away from his usual front-row starts. Perez’s qualifying outcome was even worse as he managed to get only 13th place Sunday's grid. Pole position took Carlos Sainz for Ferrari, who was showing strong pace throughout the whole weekend.

From the start, Sainz controlled the race masterfully, holding off challenges from Mercedes and McLaren. The race was not without incidents, with a safety car deployed after an accident between Yuki Tsunoda and Sergio Perez, which forced the Japanese driver to retire.

While Red Bull attempted a different tire strategy to recover positions, neither Verstappen nor Perez could break into the top five, battling for the lower points instead. Verstappen finished the race in fifth place, while Perez crossed the line in eighth, a disappointing result for a team that had been invincible up to that point.

The race was a thrilling battle between Sainz, Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton, and McLaren’s Lando Norris. In the final laps, as Sainz continued to lead, Russell pushed hard to challenge Norris for second. In a dramatic turn, Russell crashed into the barriers on the final lap, promoting Hamilton to third and securing a victory for Sainz, with Norris taking second.

Carlos Sainz’s win marked Ferrari’s first victory of the season and brought an end to Red Bull’s perfect run in 2023. It was a memorable moment in a season dominated by the Milton Keynes-based team, showing that even the best can falter on a tricky circuit like Singapore.