Formula 1 News: Verstappen, McLarens head title focus as Alonso shocks
(GMM) Fernando Alonso (pictured) stunned the paddock on Friday in Singapore, topping the first session and staying inside the top four all day for Aston Martin.
Red Bull’s Dr Helmut Marko admitted the Spaniard’s pace caught his attention. “We have to watch out for him. He was consistently fast all day,” said the Austrian.
Still, most eyes were on Max Verstappen and the two McLarens, with the drivers’ championship picture swinging again after Verstappen’s back-to-back wins in Monza and Baku.
Lando Norris had a troubled day, clearly lagging teammate Oscar Piastri’s pace. “I didn’t feel very good with the car,” Norris admitted.
“Oscar is fast, the car works, so I have nothing to complain about, except that I didn’t do well.”
Marko described it as “the best Friday in years in Singapore”, as Red Bull rolled out a new front wing for Verstappen. “The car no longer bounces over the bumps like a kangaroo. The understeer is gone.
“And for the first time, Max didn’t complain,” he smiled.
Chief engineer Paul Monaghan explained the upgrade. “We saw with the penultimate iteration that there was still room for improvement,” he said.
“When the simulations promised faster laptimes, we built the wing. Our production department has just enough time before we start work on the 2026 car.”
Verstappen, now 69 points behind Piastri, said the car’s feel reminded him of recent victories. “It felt a bit like the last two weekends,” he confirmed.
Dutch commentator Olav Mol told Ziggo Sport that the momentum in F1 is clearly now shifting. “It seems like they’ve come to a standstill at McLaren,” he said.
“What happened a year and a half ago in Miami, where McLaren suddenly took off, seems to be happening at Red Bull now.”
Norris also hinted at the mental strain of facing Verstappen. “If I could go back and choose how to be a better driver, I would also have a mum and dad who were racing drivers, start when you are a baby in the paddock, start karting at whatever age he did and do more testing than everyone else,” he said.
“So people have to catch up because he was made to be in the position he is now, but he is also making the most of that and that is why he has four world championships.”
Indeed, even when away from F1, Verstappen has been racing and winning in GT3 at the Nurburgring. 44-year-old veteran Alonso hinted he would like to join him in the future for endurance events like Le Mans.
“Maybe it’s preparation for Le Mans someday,” Alonso told Viaplay. “Who knows? I mean, I’d love to do that (with Verstappen) someday. I think his talent is beyond doubt, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the best endurance race in the world.”
“I’m a big fan of motorsport outside of Formula 1,” the Spaniard added. “I find it purer, cleaner, more fun. I did it a few years ago, and I will do it again in the future. I don’t know with what intensity, but I will do it in the future.”