Hamilton says sorry to F1 team for making two uncharacteristic mistakes in Singapore

Lewis Hamilton apologised to Mercedes and said "I f***** it up big time" after he crashed into a wall and fell off the road before finishing ninth at Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

Sergio Perez took the chequered flag of a turbulent wet-dry race under the lights of the Marina Bay Circuit, while Max Verstappen's wait for a second world championship goes on following an error-strew display.

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Verstappen started eighth and finished just one place higher after he dropped to last when a wild move on Lando Norris backfired.

However, the Dutchman - 104 points clear of Charles Leclerc in the standings - will be crowned champion at the Japanese Grand Prix in a week's time if he wins and sets the fastest lap.

Leclerc finished second, with Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz joining him on the podium. McLaren's Norris was fourth.

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Not characteristic of Hamilton

Hamilton will leave Singapore keen to erase the memory of a night where he made two uncharacteristic mistakes.

After losing out to Sainz at the start, Hamilton spent most of Sunday's race inhaling the Ferrari man's exhaust fumes. And on lap 33, he was in the tyre barrier.

Hamilton carried too much speed into the seventh corner and whacked the wall. He slipped his Mercedes into reverse - falling behind Norris but ahead of Verstappen - and attempted to soldier on.

But Hamilton's front wing was dangling off his Mercedes, and orange sparks flew as he was forced to stop for repairs.

"I am so sorry about that, guys," he said over the radio. "I f***** it up big time."

The tricky track conditions even caught out