Sebastian Vettel wins Singapore Grand Prix for 42nd Formula One triumph
Ferrari driver controls chaotic race for fourth win at Marina circuit as champion Lewis Hamilton retires and an unknown man walks on to the track
Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel won an incident-packed Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on Sunday after world champion Lewis Hamilton retired early for the first time this season and a spectator set heart rates fluttering when he strolled on to the track.
Hamilton was running fourth approaching the halfway point of the 61-lap race when he started losing engine power, rapidly dropping back through the field before he was told to return to the garage and call it a night.
Starting from pole position, Vettel had no problems, leading all the way to take the chequered flag for the fourth time at the floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit, despite twice losing the big advantage he had built up when the safety car was deployed.
We had a really great weekend and we had a fantastic day, so much adrenalin in qualifying and the same today
Australia's Daniel Ricciardo finished second for Red Bull, his best result of the year, while Vettel's teammate Kimi Raikkonen crossed the line third.
"We had a really great weekend and we had a fantastic day, so much adrenalin in qualifying and the same today," said Vettel. "I was able to look after my tyres and control the pace, so all in all, it has been a perfect weekend."
Nico Rosberg finished fourth for Mercedes to cut Hamilton's championship lead to 41 points with six races remaining. Vettel trails Hamilton by 49.
Vettel's win was the German's third this season and the 42nd of his career, enabling the quadruple world champion to overtake the late Ayrton Senna into outright third place for the most lifetime wins, trailing only German Michael Schumacher (91) and France's Alain Prost (51).