Despite Max Verstappen missing out on victory in Singapore, Red Bull leaves the city-state with renewed confidence. The RB21 has proven itself capable not only on low-downforce circuits, as seen in victories at Monza and Baku, but now also on tracks demanding higher aerodynamic efficiency.
RB21 shows its potential in Singapore
Before the Singapore Grand Prix, a question hung over Milton Keynes: could the Red Bull RB21 perform on a circuit that, on paper, seemed destined for McLaren dominance? Yet, the team appears to have found the crucial detail that unlocked the car’s full potential.
“This is good news. It seems that what we unlocked hasn’t only improved our performance on low-downforce circuits. After Monza and Baku, we still had questions about high-downforce tracks. Here, we had good pace from Friday. We had the speed for pole and also the right race pace. In fact, we finished just a few seconds behind Russell. I’m happy,” analyzed the Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies.
The former Ferrari engineer also emphasized that the team’s philosophy remains unchanged despite four consecutive podiums. The focus is on taking one race at a time and aiming for the maximum possible result. “We’ll see in Austin. McLaren should be strong there. We tackle the races one by one and then see,” Mekies added.
Verstappen pushes to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari
The four-time world champion once again outperformed both McLaren drivers. A win in Singapore would have reignited the fight for a fifth consecutive Drivers’ Championship. Nevertheless, Lando Norris and his teammate now have a reason to worry about Verstappen’s pace. Norris has already experienced firsthand how difficult it is to overtake the Dutchman on track.
Should the RB21 allow it, Verstappen will be ready to seize the opportunity and aim for a feat that could go down in F1 history. Meanwhile, the battle for the Constructors’ Championship remains wide open. Ferrari appears to have fallen into a slump from which it is difficult to recover. Only eight points separate Scuderia Ferrari from Red Bull in the standings.
This is particularly striking considering Red Bull has scored most of its points with a single driver, highlighting Ferrari’s ongoing struggles with a car that, once again, has proven underperforming.
In contrast, Mercedes is shaping up to provide a more intense battle. The Brackley team has worked hard to reintroduce a flexible front wing, previously restricted by new static tests introduced in Barcelona. The fight for second place in the Constructors’ Championship promises to deliver plenty of excitement.
“Thirty-five points is a lot. Ideally, I should have won today. But we’ll try to surpass Mercedes. It will be a real battle. It’s not easy when they win and you’re second, and I think the other Mercedes also scored important points. It’s tough, but we’ll give our best,” promised Verstappen.
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