At the start of the Singapore Grand Prix of Formula 1, Red Bull gave a surprisingly strong picture. While the team on the Marina Bay Circuit in the Turbo Hybrid era has so far been able to celebrate hardly any success, motorsport consultant Helmut Marko spoke of one of the best on Fridays in a long time.
Red Bull has not won a pole position in Singapore since 2014. Sergio Perez achieved the only victory so far in 2022. On Friday, the team looked much more competitive: Max Verstappen took third place in both training sessions. In the second training session, it was only 0.143 seconds behind the best time. The field of McLaren, Racing Bulls, Red Bull and Aston Martin was within two tenths of a second.
“It was the best Friday for many years,” said Marko. “We definitely took a step forward. In qualifying it will probably be about hundredths. Nobody could make a clear statement on the Longruns because there were two red flags. But Max is satisfied with the car. There are still little things to adjust, in the end it will be very tight.”
In the past, Verstappen had mainly criticized problems with bumps and core in city courses. During the Monaco weekend in 2024, he spoke of the radio that the car hopped “like a kangaroo”. In Singapore, the situation seems to have improved significantly. “The car is better,” said Marko. “In the past, Max has often spoken of jumping over the core, now it is much calmer. Understicking is also less. We have made small adjustments and hope that they will take effect.”
However, Marko warned against premature conclusions. Due to the interruptions in training, the long stints were missing, so that a clear balance of power was not yet recognizable. After all, the times with soft tires showed that Red Bull seems competitive.
Aston Martin also left a strong impression. Fernando Alonso drove best time in the first training session and finished fourth in the second round. “Alonso was quick in all sessions,” emphasized Marko. “Her performance was also very good in Budapest, the route is comparable. You have to have it seriously on the bill.”
Friday was also encouraging for the racing bulls, at least for one of the drivers. Isack Hadjar took second place in second training session while Liam Lawson touched the wall. Marko does not believe in a victory of the sister troop, but considers a top position to be possible.