SINGAPORE: Max Verstappen declared “the fight is not over” as Red Bull heads to Singapore this week, having lost their lead in the constructors’ world championship for the first time in two-and-a-half years.
McLaren surged to a 20-point lead after Oscar Piastri’s impressive victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, coupled with Sergio Perez’s late collision with Carlos Sainz, which saw both cars end up in the wall.
McLaren’s Lando Norris, who surged to fourth place after starting 15th on the grid, is now closing in on Verstappen at the top of the drivers’ standings. The triple world champion’s lead has shrunk to 59 points with seven grands prix and three sprints remaining, leaving a maximum of 207 points available.
Verstappen, who won seven of the first 10 races this season, has not secured a victory in the last seven as McLaren, Ferrari, and Mercedes have each claimed race wins.
Red Bull’s influential adviser, Helmut Marko, admitted after Baku that retaining the constructors’ championship might be out of reach, but Verstappen remains optimistic. “We are going to work together as a team and the fight is not over,” said Verstappen after finishing fifth. “You win or lose as a team and we won’t give up. It is as simple as that.”
However, history suggests Verstappen may face difficulties at the unpredictable Marina Bay Circuit this weekend. Red Bull has consistently struggled under the lights in Singapore and was the only race last year that Verstappen did not win, with Ferrari’s Sainz taking the victory and Norris finishing second.
