Sergio Perez takes win in Singapore humidity as Lewis Hamilton admits to 'f***** it up'

Max Verstappen's wait for a second world championship goes on after he spun and finished seventh as Sergio Perez won Sunday's chaotic rain-hit Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull's Perez took the chequered flag ahead of Charles Leclerc, with his Ferrari teammate Carlos Sainz completing the podium. Lando Norris finished fourth. Perez's triumph is subject to an investigation following an alleged infringement behind the safety car. The Mexican took the chequered flag 7.5 seconds ahead of Leclerc.

Lewis Hamilton started third but finished a disappointing ninth after he hit the wall, while Verstappen dropped from fifth after a banzai move on Norris backfired.

Verstappen heads to next weekend's Japanese Grand Prix with a 104-point championship lead. He needs to leave Suzuka 112 points clear to take the title, and the Dutchman will be crowned champion in Japan if he wins and sets the fastest lap.

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A sweet, sweet moment for Checo ??#SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/nIdwKGrvrz

One hour delay

The start of Sunday's race under the 1 600 floodlights that light up the Marina Bay Circuit was delayed by one hour and five minutes following a massive downpour.

Perez made no mistake when the signal turned green by beating Leclerc to the opening chicane in the damp conditions.

Hamilton dropped behind Sainz as they duelled at the first chicane, with the former forced to take to the escape road. "I got hit by Sainz," said Hamilton. "He sent me wide."

READ: WRAP | Sergio Perez waves the Red Bull banner with dominant performance in Singapore

Verstappen, who needed to win here to stand any chance of securing back-to-back titles with five rounds spare, started down