Great performance by Max Verstappen among the lights of Singapore. The Dutch driver took a good second place, returning to the podium after two races. A result that gives him some breathing space in terms of the drivers' championship, with the reigning world champion limiting the damage in a weekend that should have been much more subdued. McLaren, however, is increasingly distant, both on the track and in the constructors' standings.
Singapore less bitter than expected for Verstappen. Good second place before the break
It was supposed to be yet another Caporetto of the year for Red Bull and Max Verstappen, with the latter having failed to win for a good eight races, that is, since the Spanish GP on June 23. Now the Austrian team and the Dutch driver are trying in every way to lose as few points as possible to Norris, at least to save the drivers' championship. The constructors' championship, unfortunately, seems to be irreparably compromised, with McLaren increasingly distant. A technical gap that Red Bull will have to try to fill, working as much as possible in these four weeks of break preceding Austin. A decidedly different track, compared to those on which the races have just taken place after the summer break, which will have the role of revealing the levels on which the teams will settle in the final part of the season.
Today's performance will be a good starting point for Red Bull and Verstappen, but it must be said that second place in the race also came about due to a whole series of circumstances. Of course, the Austrian team worked very well on the car's set-up between Friday and Saturday, but Verstappen was also helped by the shortcomings his opponents had encountered. The two Ferraris, which could have troubled the Dutchman, faced a qualification disastrous, which relegated them to the lower part of the top ten. However, Piastri's performance was not brilliant either, and after a poor qualifying he had to settle for fighting with the Mercedes in the race.
Verstappen committed to doing his best: "I tried to do my best. Second place does not satisfy us"
In short, despite the good result, Red Bull seems far from being back. At least that's what Max Verstappen thinks, who seems tired of settling for the crumbs left by his rivals.We have to keep pushing and try to turn the situation around. I can't always end up behind. Let's see how things go“. For this reason, the treacherous fast corners of Austin will be able to tell us something more about this world championship, with Red Bull that, surely, will try to turn the situation around during the break, perhaps trying to return to being a predator, instead of continuing to play the role of prey.
What will certainly help will not be the result itself, but the work that was done on the car in that time gap between Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, which certainly gave a different value to the second place achieved by Max Verstappen in the race. "I've always been alone. I tried to do my best, managing my pace until the end. The first stint was difficult because there was quite a lot of degradation. The second stint was better and I was more comfortable. I think second place was a good result. on a weekend where we knew we would struggle. We are clearly not satisfied., but we will try to improve more and more".
