Sir Jackie Stewart is full of praise for the floodlit spectacle of the Singapore Grand Prix – and the RBS global ambassador is impressed by the way in which Nico Rosberg shone, despite the difficulties in his way.
"It was a wonderful Grand Prix and a huge credit to the people of Singapore. I can't remember a more spectacular event with the vivid colours of the cars and the track, and an enormous crowd. Plus there was a really good race as well.
Fernando Alonso really showed his mettle. It was the kind of drive you expect from a two-time world champion and I thought everything about his race was excellent. But Nico Rosberg could easily have won this Grand Prix. He made the race with the way he came in second place. And it could have been more if not for the accident early on when he lost 10 seconds to a drive-through penalty, which in practice cost him 35 seconds overall. It was an amazing drive and it was certainly my Make It Happen moment.
It wasn't a perfect start from Nico by any means, losing two places on the grid. He was behind Jarno Trulli, who for me, is the most experienced man on the track at keeping people behind him without blocking them. But Nico's pace was so good. He did a terrific job getting past him and I'm sure he's very proud.
I sat with his father, Keke, for most of the race and he appeared cool, calm and collected. But I'm sure he enjoyed the moment. When Nico got out of his car, he looked really thrilled, as did Kazuki Nakajima in the other AT&T Williams who had a very good day as well.
By contrast, it was a disaster for Ferrari. They made a complete mess with their pit stops, particularly when both cars came in at the same time. Added to that, you had the hose left in Felipe Massa's car which then had to be pulled out. And after that, he picked up a penalty on top that effectively ended his race.
You also had Kimi Raikkonen losing it near the end when he drove into the wall. That has huge implications for the constructors' championship at this stage of the season. And of course, it lets Lewis Hamilton out in front in the drivers' championship. Overall though, it was a great race."
