Struggling colossus Red Bull is also disregarding a treasured custom
Red Bull's Formula 1 titan Max Verstappen has yet to taste victory in Singapore, and a win there could provide a much-needed boost for the struggling champion. However, it seems unlikely to occur anytime soon. To avoid any setbacks in the title chase, the team has decided to scrap the special livery they had planned for the Singapore Grand Prix. The usual red and blue design will adorn Verstappen and Sergio Perez's cars instead, as the additional color would add around a kilogram of weight and potentially slow down the cars by 0.03 seconds per lap.
In the current form, Verstappen and Perez are already trailing their opponents, so an extra weight due to the special paint job is not justifiable. "It's not going to be one of our best weekends," Verstappen admitted, setting modest expectations for the 18th of 24 races this season: "We just want to keep the car stable and build on that."
There's not much hope for improvement: Verstappen has never won in Singapore, and with Red Bull losing ground in the constructors' championship to McLaren, it seems unlikely for the win to happen in 2024. Last week in Azerbaijan, Red Bull suffered a setback when they lost the championship lead. Verstappen has not won a race in seven consecutive events, and his lead over chaser Lando Norris in McLaren has shrunk to 59 points. The Singapore Grand Prix (airing Sunday at 14:00 on Sky and live on ntv.de) is fast approaching.
The Singapore circuit poses significant challenges for Red Bull
"We've reviewed last year's race to improve," said Verstappen, who finished sixth in 2023. The Singapore city circuit is notorious for its challenging track layout, with McLaren and Ferrari currently outperforming Red Bull. Mercedes also anticipates a strong showing in the evening race. Red Bull, however, remains skeptical. "Our car generally struggles with bumps and irregularities," Verstappen pointed out. Additionally, the competition has become more formidable, with fast drivers like Norris and Baku's winner Oscar Piastri in McLaren, and Ferrari's star Charles Leclerc in the mix.
"The challenges have increased. I'm hopeful, but we'll see what happens," said the champion. In an effort to maintain the car's performance, Red Bull elected to avoid the weight penalty of the extra kilogram. "Every additional gram impairs performance, and the team is focused on keeping this car as competitive as possible for the remainder of the 2024 season," Red Bull stated.
For now, Verstappen still maintains a slight advantage due to his early-season performance. "Things are okay," he assured with a smile in Singapore. After the race, the drivers will take a four-week break before wrapping up the season with two triple-header events. Verstappen aims to keep his cool on his path to a fourth consecutive title: "We'll see how it goes."
Max Verstappen acknowledged the challenges posed by the Singapore circuit, having finished sixth there last year. Given the challenges, Red Max agreed with Red Bull's decision to forego the special livery, aiming to maintain the car's performance and avoid any unnecessary weight penalty.
