F1 returns after a week's break to recover from the emotions of Monza. Italy gave a Red Bull double but also a podium to Ferrari who needed it so much at home. Engines restart in Singapore for PL1, track where two (almost three) time world champion Max Verstappen has never won. Who knows if this weekend he will be able to achieve his eleventh victory in a row, and his first at Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Change of clothes, change of track, change of rules
This seems to be the motto of the weekend. The Williams and Mclaren cars are changing their clothes and are presenting themselves with special liveries for the Singapore weekend. Mclaren brings a livery in collaboration with the OKX sponsor where the car is stripped and black prevails, broken up by the liveliness of orangeAnd. Mclaren also brings the second package of updates on Lando Norris' car which give rather positive feedback. Williams is also newly dressed and returns to the past with the "Gulf" livery.
The track has also changed and for this edition of the Grand Prix will have 19 corners and no longer 23, due to the elimination of the two chicanes in the third sector, a choice which will significantly reduce lap times.
As for the rules, the FIA introduces TD018 which will limit the flexibility of the wings, gray area that has led many teams to be very daring. The wing joints will now need to be rigid. The difference is already perceptible to the naked eye on all cars.
Problems at Red Bull?
From the preliminary statements of the Asian weekend, Verstappen he had already anticipated that they would struggle here, we then need to understand what it means to struggle at Red Bull, but seemed to be telling the truth, given that in these first free practices both Max and Sergio Perez complained of a certain nervousness in the RB19. Verstappen opens up on the radio to communicate too much oversteer, followed shortly afterwards also by Sergio Perez.
PL1 what does the track tell us?
We are only at the first free practice sessions, but it is already possible to glean some information from the track. Ferrari scores the first and second half, the Maranello team brings with them from Monza a certain optimism which is also reflected on the track. As predicted by Verstappen himself, Red Bull is struggling, or rather he seems to struggle, scoring "only" the third half with Max who, 15 minutes from the end of the session, is on a used hard tyre, followed by the Ferraris who begin a race simulation that promises very well, with photocopied sectors of the first three drivers.
Mclaren did well with Norris fitting in the updates and setting the fourth fastest time of the session followed by the two Mercedes, Sergio Perez in seventh position, with Alonso, Tsunoda and Ocon closing the top ten.
However, they are the protagonists of the session three monitor lizards that invade the Marina Bay track, episodes that have already occurred in the past on the Asian circuit.
The classification closes Lance Stroll – Pierre Gasly – Alex Albon – Valtteri Bottas – Kevin Magnussen – Liam Lawson – Nico Hulkenberg – Guanhyu Zhou – Oscar Piatri and Logan Sargeant.
