# 2016 Singapore Grand Prix

The 2016 Singapore Grand Prix (formally known as the 2016 Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 18 September 2016 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Marina Bay, Singapore. It was the fifteenth round of the 2016 Formula One World Championship, and marked the seventeenth running of the Singapore Grand Prix and the ninth time the race had been held at Marina Bay.
Nico Rosberg started the race from pole position and led throughout, holding off a late challenge by Daniel Ricciardo to win by less than half a second in his 200th race in Formula One. Sebastian Vettel was awarded the Driver of the Day award after moving 17 spots to claim 5th position.

## Background
### Championship standings before the race

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton entered the race leading the World Drivers' Championship by two points, ahead of teammate Nico Rosberg. In the World Constructors' Championship, Mercedes held a lead of 208 points. Red Bull Racing was placed second and Ferrari third. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was the defending race winner.

## Qualifying

| Pos. | Car no. | Driver | Constructor | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Qualifying times | Final grid |
| Pos. | Car no. | Driver | Constructor | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Final grid |
| 1 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 1:45.316 | 1:43.020 | 1:42.584 | 1 |
| 2 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 1:44.255 | 1:43.933 | 1:43.115 | 2 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:45.167 | 1:43.471 | 1:43.288 | 3 |
| 4 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 1:45.036 | 1:44.112 | 1:43.328 | 4 |
| 5 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 1:44.964 | 1:44.159 | 1:43.540 | 5 |
| 6 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1:45.499 | 1:44.493 | 1:44.197 | 6 |
| 7 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 1:45.291 | 1:44.475 | 1:44.469 | 7 |
| 8 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 1:46.081 | 1:44.737 | 1:44.479 | 8 |
| 9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda | 1:45.373 | 1:44.653 | 1:44.553 | 9 |
| 10 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India-Mercedes | 1:45.204 | 1:44.703 | 1:44.582 | 17 |
| 11 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Mercedes | 1:46.086 | 1:44.740 | | 10 |
| 12 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 1:46.056 | 1:44.991 | | 11 |
| 13 | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Honda | 1:45.262 | 1:45.144 | | 12 |
| 14 | 21 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Haas-Ferrari | 1:45.465 | 1:45.593 | | 13 |
| 15 | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 1:45.609 | 1:45.723 | | 20 |
| 16 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:46.427 | 1:47.827 | | 14 |
| 17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Renault | 1:46.825 | | | 15 |
| 18 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber-Ferrari | 1:46.860 | | | 16 |
| 19 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 1:46.960 | | | 18 |
| 20 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | MRT-Mercedes | 1:47.667 | | | 19 |
| 21 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | MRT-Mercedes | 1:48.296 | | | 21 |
| 22 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 1:49.116 | | | 22 |
| 107% time: 1:51.552 ||||||||
| Source: ||||||||
Notes:
* ^1 – Sergio Pérez received a five-place grid penalty for failing to slow for yellow flags and an additional three-place grid penalty for passing Esteban Gutiérrez under yellows.
* ^2 – Romain Grosjean received a five-place grid penalty for a new gearbox.
* ^3 – Sebastian Vettel received a five-place grid penalty for unscheduled gearbox changes, and a twenty-place grid penalty for using additional power unit elements.

## Race

Romain Grosjean was unable to start the race due to brake problems. At the start Nico Rosberg got away in the lead and Fernando Alonso made a strong start up to 5th. Carlos Sainz collided with Nico Hülkenberg sending the latter into the pit wall and out of the race, while Sainz was able to continue. The safety car was deployed while Hülkenberg's car was cleared. As the safety car came in and the race resumed a Marshall was still on the track still picking up debris from the accident. After the restart Lewis Hamilton could not overtake Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo ahead of him. Valtteri Bottas made a pit stop, but there was a delay in fastening and adjusting the detached seat belt. Bottas experienced the previous incident at the 2014 Brazilian Grand Prix, when his seat belts also loosened. Jenson Button retired from the race at two-thirds distance with a brake issue. Rosberg won the race after having to withstand late race pressure from Ricciardo with Lewis Hamilton driving a steady race to 3rd. Kimi Räikkönen came home 4th ahead of his teammate Sebastian Vettel while Max Verstappen was able to take 6th with Fernando Alonso falling back to 7th.

### Race classification

| Pos. | No. | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 6 | Nico Rosberg | Mercedes | 61 | 1:55:48.950 | 1 | 25 |
| 2 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 61 | +0.488 | 2 | 18 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 61 | +8.038 | 3 | 15 |
| 4 | 7 | Kimi Räikkönen | Ferrari | 61 | +10.219 | 5 | 12 |
| 5 | 5 | Sebastian Vettel | Ferrari | 61 | +27.694 | 22 | 10 |
| 6 | 33 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer | 61 | +1:11.197 | 4 | 8 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | McLaren-Honda | 61 | +1:29.198 | 9 | 6 |
| 8 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Force India-Mercedes | 61 | +1:51.062 | 17 | 4 |
| 9 | 26 | Daniil Kvyat | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 61 | +1:51.557 | 7 | 2 |
| 10 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Renault | 61 | +1:59.952 | 15 | 1 |
| 11 | 21 | Esteban Gutiérrez | Haas-Ferrari | 60 | +1 Lap | 13 | |
| 12 | 19 | Felipe Massa | Williams-Mercedes | 60 | +1 Lap | 11 | |
| 13 | 12 | Felipe Nasr | Sauber-Ferrari | 60 | +1 Lap | 16 | |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz Jr. | Toro Rosso-Ferrari | 60 | +1 Lap | 6 | |
| 15 | 30 | Jolyon Palmer | Renault | 60 | +1 Lap | 18 | |
| 16 | 94 | Pascal Wehrlein | MRT-Mercedes | 60 | +1 Lap | 19 | |
| 17 | 9 | Marcus Ericsson | Sauber-Ferrari | 60 | +1 Lap | 14 | |
| 18 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | MRT-Mercedes | 59 | +2 Laps | 21 | |
| Ret | 22 | Jenson Button | McLaren-Honda | 43 | Brakes | 12 | |
| Ret | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Williams-Mercedes | 35 | Overheating | 10 | |
| Ret | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Force India-Mercedes | 0 | Collision | 8 | |
| DNS | 8 | Romain Grosjean | Haas-Ferrari | 0 | Brakes | — | |
| Source: ||||||||

## Championship standings after the race

* Bold text and an asterisk indicates who still had a theoretical chance of becoming World Champion.
| | Pos. | Driver | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Nico Rosberg* | 273 |
| 1 | 2 | Lewis Hamilton* | 265 |
| | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo* | 179 |
| | 4 | Sebastian Vettel* | 153 |
| | 5 | Kimi Räikkönen* | 148 |
| Source: ||||
| | Pos. | Constructor | Points |
| | 1 | Mercedes* | 538 |
| | 2 | Red Bull Racing-TAG Heuer* | 316 |
| | 3 | Ferrari* | 301 |
| 1 | 4 | Force India-Mercedes | 112 |
| 1 | 5 | Williams-Mercedes | 111 |
| Source: ||||
* Note: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.