Red Bull’s new pace raises team’s hopes for Singapore

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has cast a positive outlook on his team’s prospects for this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, suggesting that recent improvements to the RB21 could help Max Verstappen overturn his winless track record at the Marina Bay Circuit.

The Dutchman arrives in Singapore on the back of consecutive triumphs in Monza and Baku, results that have underscored Red Bull’s post-summer resurgence and kept his title defense alive against McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Despite the RB21’s reputation as a tricky car to master, Red Bull’s engineers have made significant strides, coaxing newfound pace from their machine.

A game-changing floor upgrade implemented at Monza carried over to Baku. However, Singapore is a different beast altogether – a twisty, high-downforce nightmare that chews up cars and spits out surprises.

Yet, Mekies is confident that Red Bull and Verstappen can maintain their momentum at the iconic night race.

“I guess it’s probably fair to say that we have unlocked a bit of performance out of the car after Budapest, regardless of our issues there,” he said.

The Hungaroring, where Verstappen endured a humbling ninth-place finish, 72 seconds behind winner Norris, served as a stark reminder of Red Bull’s struggles on high-downforce tracks.

Yet, Mekies is adamant that Singapore won’t be a repeat of that dismal performance.

“I don’t think that Singapore will be a repeat of Budapest, so I’m more confident than that,” he said. “Is it going to be enough to fight for the win? Honestly, it’s impossible to say. But it won’t be like Budapest.”

Balancing Heat and High Downforce

The Marina Bay Street Circuit is notorious not only for its tight corners and maximum downforce demands but also for extreme heat and humidity – conditions Red Bull has not always handled well.

Mekies acknowledged these factors but stressed once again that the team’s recent progress puts them in a stronger position to compete.

“You go to Singapore, you move a bit your equations,” the Frenchman noted.

“You keep the slow-speed corners, but you go to maximum downforce. We have been struggling quite a lot in Budapest, and even before Budapest.

“Also, a much hotter track, and we know how sensitive we are to this aspect, but not only us, almost the whole field.”

For Verstappen, Singapore represents a rare gap in his otherwise glittering resume. With 67 career victories, the four-time world champion has dominated nearly every circuit on the calendar, making his winless streak at Marina Bay a curious anomaly.

But Mekies, while stopping short of predicting a breakthrough victory, is confident in Red Bull’s improved performance, offering hope that Verstappen can finally conquer the Marina Bay challenge.

Read also: Second time lucky? Albon rumored for Red Bull comeback seat

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