Leclerc nailed the getaway in Singapore, pulling nearly alongside Verstappen within seconds despite starting on the dirty side. It didn't matter. Verstappen drove him toward the inside line, forcing the Ferrari to the point where Leclerc's front wheels briefly crossed the white line. With his braking references obscured and Verstappen holding the outside, Leclerc had to lift early. Verstappen kept the lead and never looked back, winning by seven seconds.
The Dutchman admitted something felt wrong with the engine before he even released the clutch—the latest in a string of poor starts, including the one that cost him pole in the sprint. But once the Red Bull was rolling, Ferrari had no answer. Leclerc called it clean racing and shrugged: "Eventually they just had too much pace for us." Second place matched his joint-best result of the season. That's the gap Ferrari is trying to close.
Read the full story at Motorsport.com
