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The grid for the 2023 F1 Singapore GP is set and surprisingly, we did not have any penalties after qualifying. For the three incidents that Max Verstappen was a part of and the one for which Logan Sargeant was under investigation, nothing happened.
Keeping the chatter about the penalties or the lack of it to one side, let's get to the business part of the weekend. The 2023 F1 Singapore GP on Sunday is going to be a very interesting one. What can we expect from the race? Let's take a look.
#1 Max Verstappen does not secure a podium at the 2023 F1 Singapore GP
On pace, Max Verstappen is still a contender to win the race (yes, that's true, the race pace was right up there with the best). Having said that, every dominant season we've seen teams have one such race from hell where everything goes wrong.
For Max Verstappen and Red Bull, the race this weekend seems to be one such case. On pace, if Max keeps his head and slowly but steadily makes his way through the field, he could still win. But this weekend is just not the one where it seems the gods are on his side.
An eventful race with a not-so-productive result might be in store for Max this time around.
#2 Carlos Sainz wins the 2023 F1 Singapore GP
Momentum is a big thing in F1 and Carlos Sainz seems to have it with him right now. The Ferrari driver seems to have found something in the car, while his teammate seems completely out of sorts.
To add to this, there seems to be a different level of grit with which Sainz has been approaching the last couple of races.
It does appear that the stars have perfectly aligned for Carlos Sainz and he might just be the favorite to win the race today.
#3 The race will be action-packed up and down the grid
Here are a few factors in play on Sunday for the race. Firstly, both Red Bull cars are starting out of position. Secondly, tires are going to play a key role as the abrasive surface means that we will have multiple pit stops.
There is a clear dilemma in front of the lead groups because if it tries to back everyone up, it will give an opportunity to Max Verstappen to pick off one driver after the other.
On the other hand, if a team like Ferrari pushes too hard early, it could bring tire degradation into play as well. All in all, while the track for the 2023 F1 Singapore GP is notorious for not being favorable for overtakes, we're going to see a few and that will certainly keep things interesting.
#4 Fernando Alonso ascends while Haas drivers descend in the race
Fernando Alonso is going to ascend towards the front of the grid while both the Haas drivers are going to struggle with race pace. What was obvious from the race simulations on Friday was the very impressive tire life shown by the Aston Martin.
Alonso will be playing catch-up early in the race but expect him to inch closer towards the front of the grid while Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg fall down the order.
#5 No points for Piastri, Stroll, and Perez
The fact that so many of these drivers are starting the 2023 F1 Singapore GP from the back of the grid certainly makes things interesting. But the reality of it all still remains that you cannot pull off many overtakes around this track.
It's going to be hard for these three drivers to ascend to the front of the grid during the race.
