Max Verstappen declared “the fight is not over” as Red Bull head to Singapore this week having been knocked off the highest of the constructors’ world championship for the primary time in two-and-a-half years. McLaren leapt right into a 20-point lead after Oscar Piastri’s masterful victory on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was compounded by Sergio Perez’s late tangle with Carlos Sainz that ended with each within the wall. McLaren’s Lando Norris, who carved his solution to fourth place after beginning fifteenth on the grid, is looking down the Dutchman Verstappen on the prime of the drivers’ standings.
The triple world champion’s lead has been decreased to 59 factors with seven grands prix and three sprints to go, leaving a most of 207 factors up for grabs.
Verstappen received seven of the primary 10 races this season however he has not triumphed within the final seven as McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes have all taken race wins.
Red Bull’s influential adviser Helmut Marko mentioned after Baku that they haven’t any probability of retaining the constructors’ championship, however Verstappen has not conceded but.
“We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over,” declared Verstappen after coming fifth.
“You win or lose as a team and we won’t give up. It is as simple as that.”
But historical past means that Verstappen’s fortunes are unlikely to see an uptick across the unpredictable Marina Bay Circuit this weekend.
Red Bull have constantly struggled beneath the lights in Singapore.
It was the one race Red Bull didn’t win final yr, Ferrari’s Sainz taking the chequered flag to disclaim Verstappen a record-extending eleventh consecutive GP victory. Norris was second.
Verstappen has by no means received on the tight city-centre avenue circuit the place tropical storms, intense humidity, concrete boundaries, security automobiles and crimson flags all add to the uncertainty.
Street circuit specialist Perez did win in Singapore in 2022, however that was Red Bull’s solely victory there since Sebastian Vettel in 2013.
McLaren milestone
After a robust begin to the marketing campaign, Red Bull are on the again foot.
“We have lost out on some significant points in the championship,” staff principal Christian Horner mentioned after their messy Azerbaijan outing.
“However, we will brush ourselves down and fight back hard.”
McLaren, against this, are in buoyant temper as they aim a primary staff world title since 1998.
“First in the constructors’ championship is an important milestone in our journey,” mentioned staff principal Andrea Stella.
“However, the team remain clearly focused on the task ahead. We quickly turn our attention to Singapore.”
The excessive downforce observe in Singapore has historically been of profit to Mercedes.
“We’ve also got lots of data to work through ahead of Singapore,” mentioned Lewis Hamilton, attempting to take some positives from a ninth-place end in Baku after an engine change pressured him to start out from the pit lane.
“We’ve got some upgrades coming before the end of the year so hopefully we can make a step closer to those at the front soon.”
Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc received at Monza however he couldn’t make it two in a row after ranging from pole place for the fourth yr in a row at Baku and, as on the three earlier events, failing to transform right into a victory.
“For sure we have a bit of frustration because we had the space and pace to win this weekend,” lamented Ferrari chief Fred Vasseur.
In the top Leclerc did nicely to hold on to second after his exhausting tyres degraded badly behind Piastri within the second half of the race after which noticed teammate Sainz’s late crash in his mirrors.
“It wasn’t the best day for our team,” mentioned Leclerc, who is simply 19 factors behind Norris and nonetheless firmly within the hunt for the drivers’ title.
“But we now head to Singapore and will come back stronger.”
(This story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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