As the Singapore Grand Prix weekend kicked off, it became clear that McLaren and Ferrari were the dominant forces on the Marina Bay Circuit, leaving Red Bull and Mercedes scrambling to find answers. With Red Bull’s Max Verstappen languishing in 15th and Mercedes drivers struggling to keep their cars on track, the battle at the top seems to be a two-horse race between the Papaya and Red cars.
Ferrari and McLaren took center stage in both qualifying simulations and long runs, with Charles Leclerc setting the fastest time, closely followed by Lando Norris. The McLaren driver looked particularly strong on race pace, holding a slight edge over Ferrari’s Leclerc and Carlos Sainz. Meanwhile, Red Bull’s weekend went from bad to worse, as Verstappen found himself nearly a second off the pace, unable to extract any grip from his RB19.
Verstappen’s struggles were compounded by repeated complaints of a lack of grip, both at the front and rear of his car. A mistake at Turn 7 saw him running wide, further underscoring Red Bull’s woes on the tricky Singapore circuit. Meanwhile, Mercedes fared no better, with Lewis Hamilton voicing his frustration over poor rear-end grip and George Russell ending his session in the wall, showcasing a team clearly at odds with their W15.
The FP1 session was marked by McLaren’s controversial rear wing, which had drawn the FIA’s attention after flexing suspiciously in Baku. Although McLaren stated that their wing passed all FIA deflection tests, they agreed to make minor adjustments, raising questions about how the MCL38’s performance might be impacted on faster circuits later in the season.
As FP2 got underway under the floodlights, the session was filled with drama. Temperatures were high, humidity was intense, and tensions were palpable. Hamilton and Russell continued to struggle with traction issues, while Verstappen’s frustrations were evident as he battled a stuck radio button and persistent handling woes. Sergio Perez, meanwhile, was handed a black and white flag for crossing the pit exit line and later described his car’s handling as “all over the place.”
Elsewhere, Franco Colapinto mistakenly parked his Williams in the Alpine pit box, much to the surprise of the Alpine mechanics who quickly redirected him. Oscar Piastri and Norris both flirted with the barriers, the latter hitting the wall at Turn 3 and returning to the pits after reporting the impact. Sainz continued to wrestle with brake issues, repeatedly locking up his front right, adding to Ferrari’s concerns despite their strong pace.
With Ferrari running 1-2 and McLaren close behind, the story of the weekend is clear: unless Red Bull and Mercedes find drastic improvements before qualifying, they’ll be watching from the sidelines as Ferrari and McLaren fight for supremacy on the tight streets of Singapore. The stage is set for a dramatic showdown under the lights, but the question remains—can the struggling giants of F1 turn the tide in time?
