After the Azerbaijan GP, it’s time for flyaway races, and Formula One (F1) comes to Singapore for round 18 of the championship. As we move closer to the end of the season, things are heating up. McLaren’s poor outing at Baku has made the season more interesting.
Alongside McLaren’s papaya duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Max Verstappen has also entered the title talks. With two consecutive victories at Monza and Baku, the Dutchman is only 69 points adrift from the championship leader, Oscar Piastri. Singapore is also the most physically demanding race on the calendar.
Track and Weather
Singapore was the original night race back in 2008. It is one of the anti-clockwise tracks.
| Circuit Name | Marina Bay Street Circuit |
| Circuit Length | 4.928 km |
| Race Distance | 305.354 km |
| Number of Laps | 62 |
| Turns | 19 |
| DRS Zones | 2 |
| Fastest Lap | 1:35.867 – Lewis Hamilton (2023, Mercedes) (Race) |
Just like last year, hot and humid weather is expected with temperatures rising to 30 degrees Celsius throughout the weekend, and occasional showers are also expected.
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Max Verstappen’s title hopes and a litmus test for the new Red Bull Upgrades
This year has been tough for Max Verstappen, and he has only won two races before summer break. McLaren dominated, essentially ruling the Dutchman out of title contention. Things drastically changed after that, as Verstappen won two consecutive races in Monza and Baku, coupled with Oscar Piastri’s retirement in Baku, brought the 28-year-old back in title contention.
One of the reasons for Red Bull’s progress after the summer break was the implementation of upgrades and changes. Red Bull introduced floor upgrades, and instead of relying solely on simulations, the team stated that they listened more to drivers’ feedback, which also proved helpful.
An important point to consider here is that RB21 upgrades are only tested on low downforce tracks such as Monza and Baku, and have yet to be tested on high downforce tracks. Singapore will be the first high downforce test for RB 21.
This will also be important in determining how Red Bull’s season will pan out moving forward, and check if RB21 will work well on high downforce tracks, just like it is performing on low downforce tracks.
Time for McLaren to bounce back
Before summer break, McLaren was dominating and the team to beat, and during the Azerbaijan GP, they were on the verge of clinching the constructors’ title. Baku was the weekend to forget for both drivers in Papaya-clad. Oscar Piastri crashed in qualifying and then during the race.
Teammate Lando Norris also struggled throughout the weekend and only managed to score six points during the race weekend. Is McLaren losing its momentum? If yes, then the Singapore GP is the perfect time to regain it by securing the constructor’s title and moving ahead in the driver’s title fight.
