Verstappen and Red Bull: Chasing the Championship

(GMM) Max Verstappen’s P2 in Singapore kept his faint title hopes alive – and confirmed that Red Bull’s post-Christian Horner resurgence now extends beyond low-downforce tracks.

Although the Dutchman’s streak of poles and wins at Baku and Monza came to an end, finishing ahead of both McLaren drivers was seen as another step forward.

Editor’s Note: Both McLaren and Mercedes have two drivers near the front to try and beat Verstappen, or at the very least, take precious points away from him. Red Bull’s second driver, Yuki Tsunoda is just a backmarker, a moving chicane, and is zero help to Verstappen as he chases his 5th straight world driving title.

“We didn’t win the race, but we did finish ahead of both McLarens. That’s a huge success for us,” said Red Bull advisor Dr Helmut Marko.

For Red Bull, Singapore has historically been one of its weakest circuits, yet Verstappen was again clear of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. “We’re fast on every track now,” Marko said.

“We’re back at the front of the field. Oscar Piastri’s lead is still considerable, but we’ll just keep fighting.”

Dr Helmut Marko, Team Consultant of Oracle Red Bull Racing arrives in the Paddock prior to practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Singapore at Marina Bay Street Circuit on October 03, 2025 in Singapore, Singapore. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

Piastri leads the standings on 336 points, ahead of Norris on 314 and Verstappen on 273 – with six races remaining.

McLaren expects to bounce back at upcoming venues that better suit its car. Team principal Andrea Stella said Austin may still be difficult but believes stronger results will come later.

“I would expect that Austin will still be a bit of a struggle for us because the corners are tight in many braking areas,” he said. “Our tracks still remain the likes of Brazil, Qatar, Abu Dhabi.

“Perhaps earlier on in the season, when we had a bit more advantage, we could cope better with some other circuits. But now the field has become even more competitive.

“Red Bull seems to have solved both its high-drag and Singapore factors, but they are extremely capable. It’s no surprise they are in the game.”

Verstappen said he thinks the title remains a long shot despite again beating both McLarens – his third consecutive race doing so.

“We should have won for that,” he said. “You have to dominate, and we’re not doing that – or at least not this weekend. We’re not closing the gap enough.

“We really should have won today for that, and we didn’t. That’s just the way it is. We simply lost far too many points at the start of the season.”