Formula 1 eventually delivered the Singapore Grand Prix everyone wanted, but this race took its sweet time in getting there.
Daniel Ricciardo ultimately fell just short of stealing victory away from Nico Rosberg - by a scant 0.488 seconds in fact - but the Red Bull's pursuit of Rosberg's ailing Mercedes turned the closing stages into the sort of thrilling spectacle F1's new owners will surely hope to see more of.
Against Mercedes' own expectations, prospects for a genuine fight for victory looked all but over after Rosberg dominated qualifying.