10 Memorable Moments From The Singapore Grand Prix

Lewis Hamilton took advantage of problems for his team-mate, Nico Rosberg, and stormed to his seventh win of the 2014 season, reclaiming the lead in the drivers’ standings.

Rosberg suffered an electrical problem and started from the pit lane, before retiring at his first pit stop. Hamilton had to make a late trip to the pit lane to switch to the soft compound tyres, emerging behind Sebastian Vettel and ahead of Daniel Ricciardo.

He quickly snatched back the lead and pulled away to take the chequered flag 13.5 seconds clear of Vettel, with Ricciardo, Alonso and Massa completing the top five. Here are some memorable moments:

1. A problematic start

There was a flurry of activity around Rosberg’s car on the grid before the formation lap due to a problem with his steering wheel. Despite changing it several times, he couldn’t pull away due to what appeared to be clutch issues, and started from the pits. Meanwhile Kamui Kobayashi pulled off track on the warm-up lap with an oil pressure issue.

2. Hamilton retains the top spot

With no one lining up alongside him, Hamilton easily retained the lead of the race at the start. Alonso stormed up to second place but locked up and took to the turn two run-off area. Ricciardo and Vettel got very close, with the four-time champion emerging ahead. Rosberg joined the back of the pack but failed to make much progress.

3. A close call

Jenson Button and Kevin Magnussen battled very closely on the first lap, with the latter just managing to keep his car out of the wall at turn nine.

4. Rosberg retires

Rosberg tried to make progress early on while fighting several issues with his car. He had to stall his Mercedes W05 at his first pit stop, but couldn’t get out of neutral when the car was restarted. The German was forced to call it a day, losing the championship lead.

5. A bit too eager

Pastor Maldonado was a bit too eager when leaving his pit box at his second stop. He pulled away from his pit crew with a left-front wheel gun still attached. Fortunately no one was injured.

6. Clumsy contact

Adrian Sutil and Sergio Perez made contact on lap 30, with the Force India driver’s front wing flying off the car and disintegrating. The safety car was deployed to remove the debris from the circuit.

7. A minor scare for Hamilton

Hamilton had to pit for a third time late in the race, as he hadn’t used the soft compound tyre. He had quickly established a strong lead after the safety car, but lost it while changing tyres, returning to the track just behind Vettel. Hamilton managed to close in on the reigning champion, who was nursing older tyres, and passed him on the run to turn seven.

8. Some strong battles

We saw some fantastic battles further down the field in the closing stages, as some drivers started to struggle on worn tyres.

9. Hamilton victorious

As F1 races are limited to two hours, the 2014 Singapore Grand Prix missed out on reaching the full 61-lap distance by one lap. Hamilton took the chequered flag 13.5 seconds clear of Vettel, taking his second consecutive win, seventh of the year and second at the track.

Ricciardo was third with Alonso just behind him in fourth. Felipe Massa finished fifth, with Jean-Eric Vergne holding on to sixth despite being given a five-second time penalty. Perez, Kimi Raikkonen, Nico Hulkenberg and Magnussen completed the top 10.

McLaren’s Danish rookie Magnussen was treated for burns after the race at the circuit medical centre. His car’s cockpit overheated mid-way through the race, making for very uncomfortable driving conditions. He also couldn’t drink from his water bottle as it was burning his mouth.