Red Bull's miss, super Sainz, lively Lawson: Singapore Grand Prix talking points

Red Bull's hopes of winning every race in the 2023 season were dashed in Singapore, where Ferrari's Carlos Sainz triumphed and an exciting rookie claimed his first championship points.

AFP Sport looks at three talking points from the Singapore Grand Prix:

1. You can't win them all

Red Bull's winning streak finally came to an end in a chastening weekend under the floodlights as Sainz drove a perfect race to hang on to victory for Ferrari.

The last time neither Max Verstappen nor Sergio Perez stood on the top step of the podium was in Brazil in November 2022.

George Russell took his first grand prix victory in that penultimate race of last season. In Singapore on Sunday, the Mercedes driver was sniffing a second win when he crunched the unforgiving Marina Bay circuit barriers.

READ | Max Verstappen struck by Singapore voodoo again, making win 11 near impossible

That left Sainz, Lando Norris of McLaren and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton to cross the line nose-to-tail in a breathless finish.

Verstappen and Perez were never in the mix during a weekend that demonstrated how thrilling a spectacle Formula One might be if Ferrari, Mercedes, McLaren and Aston Martin can close the gap on Red Bull.

Unfortunately for race fans, the switch-around is likely to be short-lived with Red Bull expected to roar back on the sweeping high-speed Suzuka circuit in Japan this weekend.

Verstappen is still runaway favourite to claim a third world title in a row but must wait a little while longer.

But the gap to the rest is closing and that bodes well for the remaining seven races this season - and for 2024.

2. Sainz shows his smarts

Sainz said that slowing in front to give Norris a "cheeky DRS boost" had been key to victory.

Sainz's cool head in the heat of the