Perhaps most tellingly, Lawson has now outscored Alpine on his own, with Racing Bulls now 32 points clear in the battle for fifth in the constructors championship.<\/p>\n
Liam Lawson drives for Racing Bulls at the Singapore Grand Prix. Photo \/ Red Bull<\/p>\n
At the front, Max Verstappen made it three wins in a row \u2013 two grands prix and a sprint \u2013 after leading from lights out to take the chequered flag and add to his victory in the sprint and in Malaysia last week.<\/p>\n
Verstappen\u2019s first grand prix triumph in Singapore makes him the seventh different driver in as many years to take victory on the Marina Bay Street Circuit, and leaves Madrid \u2013 which only made its debut this year \u2013 as the only track the four-time world champion hasn\u2019t won on in his career.<\/p>\n
Further back, Ferrari\u2019s Charles Leclerc finished second, while Mercedes\u2019 Kimi Antonelli moved closer to becoming the youngest driver to win a drivers championship, after taking third place. <\/p>\n
The 15 points won take Antonelli 102 clear of Mercedes teammate George Russell, and give the 20-year-old a mathematical chance of being crowned champion when racing returns in Austin later this month. <\/p>\n
A 132-point advantage over Ferrari in the constructors championship also leaves Mercedes in a position to take both titles at the Circuit of the Americas, if results go their way.<\/p>\n
Formula One now takes a week off, before returning later this month in Austin for the United States Grand Prix \u2013 the first of another triple-header of races.<\/p>\n
Starting eighth, up one place from the ninth he\u2019d qualified in, the call to start Lawson on soft tyres paid off as the Kiwi managed to get around Gasly at lights out, and set into work from seventh place.<\/p>\n
Under threat from the Audi of Nico Hulkenberg as well as Gasly \u2013 both on medium tyres \u2013 behind him, Lawson was able to open up a gap of more than one second by lap five, and removed the risk of his rivals being able to use overtake mode on him.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, the spectre of Russell\u2019s Mercedes and Red Bull\u2019s Isack Hadjar \u2013 who started 19th and 22nd respectively after power unit changes \u2013 also gave Lawson reason to keep looking in his mirrors.<\/p>\n
As the laps wore on, Lawson was able to build a gap of close to three seconds on Hulkenberg behind him, even as the distance to the top six in front of him only increased. However, Lawson\u2019s softer tyres would also begin to count against him the longer the race wore on.<\/p>\n
Liam Lawson at the Singapore Grand Prix. Photo \/ Red Bull<\/p>\n
Once cars in front started to stop for the first time, Lawson climbed as high as sixth, but found himself at risk of being undercut by either Gasly or Hulkenberg when they\u2019d both pitted by lap 32, before pitting himself.<\/p>\n
Emerging in ninth, and having to battle Hulkenberg on faster tyres from the outset, Lawson had the ability to go to the end on his set of mediums, if he could hold his position against drivers behind him on softs.<\/p>\n
But even with a tyre disadvantage, Lawson was able to push more than a second clear of Hulkenberg for the second time in the race before a virtual safety car allowed Russell to stop for the first time, and set himself up to fight the Kiwi for seventh place when he emerged in 10th.<\/p>\n
However, with 21 laps up his sleeve to try and get back at Lawson, and fresher tyres underneath him, traffic stopped Russell\u2019s charge on the Kiwi, as Gasly and Hulkenberg stalled the Mercedes for long enough to make sure Lawson was unchallenged in crossing the line seventh for the fifth time this year.<\/p>\n
Singapore Grand Prix result<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen – Red BullCharles Leclerc – FerrariKimi Antonelli – MercedesLando Norris – McLarenOscar Piastri – McLarenLewis Hamilton – FerrariLiam Lawson – Racing BullsNico Hulkenberg – AudiGeorge Russell – MercedesIsack Hadjar – Red BullPierre Gasly – AlpineOllie Bearman – HaasEsteban Ocon – HaasCarlos Sainz – WilliamsArvid Lindblad – Racing BullsFernando Alonso – Aston MartinSergio Perez – CadillacAlex Albon – WilliamsValtteri Bottas – Cadillac<\/p>\n
Did not finish: Lance Stroll – Cadillac, Franco Colapinto – Alpine, Gabriel Bortoleto – Audi<\/p>\n