Red Bull warn F1 rivals Hungary-like struggles won’t be repeated at Singapore GP

Red Bull are confident there won’t be a repeat of their Hungary horror show at this weekend’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix.

The team head to the Marina Bay Street Circuit on the back of two dominant victories.

Max Verstappen won both the Italian and Azerbaijan Grands Prix from pole position, with winning margins of 19 and 14 seconds respectively – a return to  the kind of dominance seen in 2023.

This weekend’s F1 race in Singapore, however, will present an entirely different challenge.

Unlike Monza and Baku, the Marina Bay circuit demands maximum downforce. The hot and humid conditions also place additional strain on tyres and car performance.

McLaren, in particular, have tended to excel in hotter conditions this season, meaning Singapore will be a crucial test of whether Verstappen is truly back in the 2025 F1 title fight.

Red Bull boss Laurent Mekies is confident their struggles in Budapest will not resurface this weekend.

“I guess it’s probably fair to say that we have unlocked a bit of performance out of the car after Budapest, regardless of our issues there,” he said.

“I don’t think that Singapore will be a repeat of Budapest, so I’m more confident than that. Is it going to be enough to fight for the win? Honestly, it’s impossible to say. But it won’t be like Budapest.”

Red Bull’s Hungary struggles

Red Bull’s weakest weekend of the season came at the Hungaroring.

Verstappen finished ninth after Red Bull opted for an unfavourable two-stop strategy, ending up more than 72 seconds behind race-winner Lando Norris.

“You go to Singapore, you move a bit your equations,” Mekies added.

“You keep the slow-speed corners, but you go to maximum downforce. We have been struggling quite a lot in Budapest, and even before Budapest.

“Also, a much hotter track, and we know how sensitive we are to this aspect, but not only us, almost the whole field.”

McLaren dominated the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix from pole position.

Lando Norris controlled the race from the front, winning ahead of Verstappen at the Marina Bay circuit. 

Red Bull have won in Singapore just once since 2014 - with Sergio Perez in 2022.