Red Bull’s White Whale
The Singapore Grand Prix is expected to be Red Bull’s greatest challenge in keeping their winning streak alive.
Let’s not delude ourselves: Red Bull will win the driver’s and constructors’ championships this year.
Though it’s not mathematically impossible for a non-Red Bull driver to win the WDC, the championship has felt like a done deal for months now. Currently leading Sergio Perez by 145 points in the driver’s championship, Verstappen needs a lead of 207 points after Singapore, 181 points after Japan, and 147 points after Qatar to clinch the title. Even if Perez finishes P2 in the next three races, Verstappen can comfortably earn a third WDC by Qatar. Verstappen has so many points that if he alone were driving for Red Bull, he would still be leading the constructors championship, a feat he’s maintained since early summer. If he wins in Singapore, Verstappen will also extend his record of 11 wins in a row.
But more interesting is the ultimate record in Formula 1 — untouched but very much within Red Bull’s reach: winning every single race in a season.
Though eight rounds stand between Red Bull and this unprecedented achievement, their highest hurdle is nigh. Red Bull have identified Singapore as their make-or-break race.
“Max has never won in Singapore, so he will want to do that in two weeks,” said Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko after the Italian Grand Prix. “And if he can win there too, I am optimistic that we can win the rest of the races as well.”
With hot, humid conditions and a narrow race track, the Marina Bay Street Circuit is unrelenting. Since it was held as F1’s first night race in 2008, the Singapore Grand Prix has triggered 23 safety cars in 13 years.
If the stats don’t compel you, just take a look at last year’s race: Nicholas Latifi and Zhou Guanyu crashed out on Lap 7, leading to a safety car deployment and retirement of both drivers; Fernando Alonso suffered an engine failure on Lap 22, which triggered a virtual safety car; and Alonso’s then-teammate Esteban Ocon faired just as poorly when he suffered the same problem five laps later. Both he and Alex Albon, who crashed and lost his front wing, triggered additional VSCs. Oh, and to top it all off, the race was initially delayed over an hour due to thunderstorms.
The race was inauspicious for Verstappen’s championship hopes then, too. Leading the WDC ahead of Charles Leclerc by 116 points, in order to win the title that race, Verstappen needed to have finished P1, with Leclerc finishing P9 or P8, if Verstappen also took the fastest lap. Instead, Verstappen had one of his sloppiest races of his season, finishing P7, gaining only one position after qualifying P8.
This year, Red Bull, though with a superior car in all conditions and track configurations, is not expecting an easy victory.
A high-downforce track, Marina Bay features slow-speed corners that cars such as Aston Martin and Ferrari enjoy. It also has fewer long straights, making overtaking difficult and limiting the power of DRS. Both McLaren and Aston Martin are expected to bring updates to the track, though Red Bull will also bring a substantial upgrade to the race, according to Marko.
Last week’s Italian Grand Prix proved that keeping Verstappen behind is not impossible — Carlos Sainz managed it for 14 laps. Marina Bay has fewer straights, slower corners and more treacherous conditions than Monza, so if Ferrari has a repeat performance (and doesn’t botch a more complicated strategy than Monza’s one-stopper), then there’s a real shot that the Prancing Horses could be a thorn in Red Bull’s side(pod).
Then there’s the Perez variable. Having earned the “King of the Streets” moniker after winning in Baku this year, Perez excels on the narrow, twisting street circuits of F1, and Singapore could be a chance for him to cement his value as Red Bull’s second driver, a coveted seat.
After suffering from inconsistent performances this year, Checo has seemed to find a new rhythm with the RB19, finishing on the podium in three of the past four races. But Perez’s qualifying has continued to be lackluster: He hasn’t sat on the front row since Miami this year, the race where Verstappen overtook him and won the race after starting P9 — and where it all seemed to come undone for Checo.
Checo has shown he can shine in Singapore — he won there last year — and should he qualify well, he could have another chance at victory, or let’s be honest, a likely P2 at best, should nothing bad happen to his teammate.
With smashed records and wins from nine different grid slots, Verstappen is well prepared to best yet another track this year, but Singapore’s arduous conditions can’t be easily dismissed. If anything, the grand prix can at least promise potential for chaos and a glimmer of hope for glory for another team.
Red Bull have had it too easy this year. It’s mouthwatering to think that the Singapore Grand Prix could raise the stakes for the team. Verstappen and Perez will have to up their game — let’s hope the other 18 drivers do the same.