Verstappen worries and resigns
Paint too heavy: Formula 1 giant Red Bull changes plans
19.09.2024, 15:40
Max Verstappen has never won in Singapore – an end to this series would be just what the ailing Formula 1 world champion wants. But there is currently little to suggest that this will happen. In order to avoid a setback in the battle for the crown, his team is foregoing a special paint job.
It’s the minuscule difference of three hundredths of a second per lap, but for the faltering Formula 1 giant Red Bull, it means the world. So the team is foregoing a beloved tradition at the Singapore Grand Prix. Instead of driving with a special paint job as planned, the cars of world champion Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez are driving in the usual design: the additional color would make the car about a kilogram heavier and therefore probably also slightly slower.
And because Verstappen and Perez are already lagging behind, a deficit of the equivalent of 0.03 seconds generated by a special paint finish cannot be justified. “It certainly won’t be one of our best weekends,” said Verstappen, who at least publicly set only small goals before the 18th of 24 races of the season: “We want to continue to stabilize the car and build on that.”
After all, there is little reason for hope: Verstappen has never won in Singapore, not even last year, when he dominated Formula 1 with ease and raced from victory to victory. So why should it work in 2024? Last weekend in Azerbaijan, Red Bull lost the lead in the Constructors’ Championship to McLaren, and if you exclude the success in the sprint in Austria, Verstappen has now been waiting for a win for seven races. His lead in the World Championship over pursuer Lando Norris in the McLaren has shrunk to 59 points – and now, of all times, the Singapore Grand Prix is taking place (Sunday, 2 p.m. on Sky and in the live ticker on ntv.de) to.
Street circuit poses major problems for Red Bull
“We analyzed last year’s race. We want to improve,” said Verstappen, who finished sixth at the time. The characteristics of the street circuit in Singapore pose major problems for the RB20, with McLaren and Ferrari currently clearly faster than Red Bull. Mercedes is also expecting something from the race that will take place there in the evening. Things are different for Red Bull. “Our car is generally not good on bumps and uneven surfaces,” said Verstappen. In addition, the competition has become much faster with the fast McLaren drivers Norris and Baku winner Oscar Piastri as well as Ferrari star Charles Leclerc.
“The challenge is bigger. I hope for the best – let’s see,” said world champion Verstappen: “We have to find more performance and make our lives easier.” Therefore, the makers of Red Bull decided against the extra kilo due to the paintwork. “Any additional weight affects performance and the team continues to prioritize making this car as competitive as possible for the remainder of the 2024 season,” said Red Bull.
Verstappen is still living off the cushion he built up in the first phase of the season. Therefore, “everything is fine,” the Dutchman assured with a smile in Singapore. After the race, the drivers will have another four-week break before the season ends with two “triple headers.” Verstappen does not want to let himself be unsettled on the way to his fourth title in a row: “Let’s see how it goes.”