As Sebastian Vettel crossed the line to win the Singapore Grand Prix, fireworks lit the night sky in celebration. It was an explosive finish to what had been a processional affair on the streets of Marina Bay. Vettel’s win, however, was at the cost of his teammate Charles Leclerc. The 21-year-old kept his cool at the close but through gritted teeth and the clear disappointment of a driver who firmly believes he had, and has, his four-times champion teammate beaten.

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Ferrari’s strategy cost Leclerc as did the Mercedes calls for Lewis Hamilton who started second but finished fourth, behind the Red Bull of Max Verstappen.

As a team Ferrari could not have come away from Singapore with a better result. It is their third win a row and their first one-two finish since Hungary in 2017. Moreover, they managed it on a track where they expected to be behind Mercedes and Red Bull.

The upgrades Ferrari brought to the nose, front wing, floor, diffuser and rear wing of their car had come together this weekend remarkably well. They found the grip they had been lacking all season and with it the balance that allowed their drivers to attack the corners. Allied with their straight line speed advantage the Scuderia had the superior package here. Mercedes had to gamble on their strategy to go at their rivals and it cost Hamilton, who believed they still could have won.

This is a hugely positive result for Ferrari but in Singapore Leclerc, who won the previous two races and led here until the pit stops, wanted answers from his team. With overtaking difficult, the race hinged on the stops and Ferrari opted to send Vettel into the pits before his teammate in what Mattia Binotto, the team principal, explained was an attempt to cover Verstappen and pass Hamilton, who was in second.

On fresh rubber Vettel flew, he took the undercut and his teammate’s place. In a race then interrupted by three safety cars it was the decisive moment. Vettel went on to close it out with great skill under pressure to gain his first win for more than 12 months.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Sebastian Vettel won his first race in over a year. Photograph: Eric To/AP

Leclerc chased but could not pass and questioned the decision. “I don’t understand at all the undercut, we will discuss after the race,” he said, before adding that he thought it was not fair.

Afterwards he was still looking for an explanation. “It was frustrating,” he said. “But I understand if the decision made must be for the good of the team. The answer I need really is that there was no other way for us to be first or second in the same order before the pit stop. I don’t know if I could have stopped earlier.”

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Leclerc then had to stand next to Inaki Rueda, the head of strategy, who collected the constructor’s trophy on the podium but Binotto backed his man making the calls on the pit wall. “I know Charles is annoyed and frustrated but that is a positive attitude for a driver to have,” he said. “Once he has the full picture, I am sure he will understand.”

For Mercedes, their bid to leave Hamilton out long in the hope the leaders would hit traffic failed to pay off. After his late stop he emerged in fourth, from where he could make no gains. He, too, was frustrated, believing they should have followed Ferrari’s strategy with Vettel.

“I knew we should have undercut,” he said. “I knew this morning in the briefing but they didn’t. We win and lose together as a team and we take it on the chin but it is painful because we could easily have won today.”

The Mercedes team principal, Toto Wolff, admitted their ploy had not worked. “Everyone was surprised by how strong the undercut was,” he said. “We tried to do the opposite and go a bit longer, and hoped that he might catch up in the traffic. Our tyre wore off and that is why we ended up nowhere.”

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Hamilton has retained his strong title position, however. He leads teammate Valtteri Bottas by 65 points, with Verstappen and Leclerc tied 31pts behind the Finn. Vettel is 6pts further back in fifth.

The world champion and Leclerc will leave Singapore disappointed. Yet Ferrari as a team could not be looking stronger and further chances for victories are certainly within the Monégasque driver’s reach. The Scuderia may have finally unlocked the potential of their car and are on an absolute roll, as Hamilton acknowledged.

“It feels like they are hungrier at the moment,” he said. “We have to step it up, we are still the best team. We have to stop dragging our feet and get on.”

Bottas was fifth for Mercedes and Alexander Albon sixth for Red Bull. Lando Norris was in seventh for McLaren, in front of the Toro Rosso of Pierre Gasly. Nico Hülkenberg was in ninth for Renault and Antonio Giovinazzi 10th for Alfa Romeo.