Beneath the floodlights, the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix got under way, with pole-sitter Carlos Sainz nailing his start to lead into Turn 1.
Behind, Charles Leclerc from P3 used his soft starting rubber to great effect to surge past Mercedes’ George Russell – who started second – and slot into position as team mate Sainz’s rear-gunner.
LIVE COVERAGE: Follow all the action from the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix
The other Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton raised eyebrows, meanwhile, after dramatically running on at Turn 1 and slotting into P3, before handing a position back to Russell – with McLaren’s Lando Norris unhappy after he was also jumped by the seven-time champion.
One driver who didn’t have a strong start to his race, however, was Yuki Tsunoda, who was forced to pull up his AlphaTauri in the run-off with a puncture.
Watch the race start in the video above.
Next Up
Related Articles
Sainz ‘over the moon’ with podium in Qatar
Verstappen believes 'it’s all possible now' after Qatar triumph
Verstappen wins Qatar GP as title battle goes to Abu Dhabi
Antonelli laments late mistake in losing place to Norris
Brown and Stella admit McLaren 'made the wrong decision' in Qatar
What does Norris need to do in Abu Dhabi to win the title?