Given how strong Ferrari was in Monaco, this was a track that most anticipated would suit the SF-24 car. Leclerc and teammate Sainz, who won in Singapore last year, showed flashes of pace through practice, only to end up ninth and 10th on the grid for lights out on Sunday.

Four-time Singapore winner Lewis Hamilton was down in the dumps after Friday’s running, but his Mercedes was transformed overnight and the seven-time world champion lines up third on the grid. It had looked at times that he may do even better than that, and he will be relishing the prospect of a fight with his 2021 title rival Verstappen.