Why McLaren must take Verstappen's Singapore podium seriously

The Singapore Grand Prix was viewed as McLaren and Lando Norris' major chance to claim points off Red Bull and Max Verstappen, but why?

Given what happened in Singapore last year – the only race Red Bull failed to win in its record-breaking season – the Milton Keynes-based team forecasted another difficult race. 

"Q3, that should definitely be the goal, but I'm not going to say that I can put it on pole position," said Verstappen.

Verstappen's target to make Q3 was in response to neither himself nor Sergio Perez progressing to the final part of qualifying in Singapore last season. 

After the opening day at the Marina Bay Circuit, it looked like a repeat was on the cards, as Verstappen ended second practice in 15th.  

This sounded the alarms at Red Bull, as "nothing worked" on the reigning champion's car, according to advisor Helmut Marko.

"He had no grip on the soft and hard tyres and the balance was not right," said Marko. "Right now I would say that the situation is very worrying and we have to try something drastically. We are going to see what we can try."

Whilst Verstappen was towards the bottom of the Friday practice times, Lando Norris was at the top. On the back of this, it was predicted Verstappen would again exit Q2, whilst many observers expected Norris to claim a relatively comfortable pole position. 

The latter happened, with Norris' 1:29.525 securing him a sixth career F1 pole by two-tenths of a second. However, the driver alongside him on the front row was, quite remarkably, Verstappen. 

Red Bull performed nothing short of a miracle ahead of third practice as the Dutchman suddenly looked competitive. 

Nico Rosberg, the 2016 F1 champion, suggested the team had stiffened the suspension on the RB20, a set-up change which had an immediate impact.

McLaren concern

Verstappen's brilliance in qualifying gave him an outside shot at victory at a circuit where he has yet to win. However, Norris was too good throughout the Singapore GP. 

The Briton finally made a strong start from pole position and led every lap, before crossing the finish line 21 seconds ahead of his title rival in second. 

It was a lonely but well-managed race for Verstappen, who picked up an unexpected 18 championship points. 

For Norris, he had to settle for 25, after Daniel Ricciardo denied him the point for the fastest lap with the final tour. 

Oscar Piastri completing the podium highlighted McLaren's superiority in Singapore, yet Norris only reduced Verstappen's lead in the drivers' championship by seven points. 

A deficit is a deficit, ultimately, but Verstappen's lead was expected to take a more considerable hit than seven points. This could be alarming for McLaren, as Singapore is a Red Bull bogey event. 

The bonus for the papaya squad was Sergio Perez enduring his latest difficult weekend, with the Mexican driver finishing 10th after being eliminated in Q2. 

Norris' victory felt like a glass half-full moment. Yes, McLaren scored 21 points more than Red Bull, increasing the Woking-based team's lead in the constructors' standings to 41 points. 

However, something suddenly clicked for Verstappen in the RB20, which had not done so for several races. If Red Bull has finally discovered the root cause of the RB20's issues, then this autumn break could save them. 

Upgrades for the United States Grand Prix have been reported, which could result in Verstappen having a car for the final six races that no longer possesses the disconnected balance problem.  

If Verstappen finished second at Singapore, an event Red Bull feared, how will the Dutchman perform at the Circuit of the Americas where he has been unbeaten in the past three seasons?

A defining moment for Verstappen?

It cannot be overlooked that Norris was expected to significantly reduce Verstappen's lead. The Briton did everything right, bar a couple of brushes with a barrier. 

Verstappen claiming a surprise runner-up position behind him feels like a potentially defining moment in the championship. 

Red Bull understood something in Singapore, that is for certain. Verstappen was 1.3s slower than Norris in second practice and had the same pace as Williams' Franco Colapinto in race trim. 

Fast forward to the end of the weekend, and it is another 18 points scored on his way to a potential fourth world title. 

The underlying message is that McLaren and Norris must now be perfect and capitalise on every situation. A 52-point deficit can be overhauled, but likely requires Red Bull to continue to fail to reach its full potential. 

Like Singapore, the USGP will be pivotal for the title fight, as it will be discovered whether Red Bull has managed to get on top of its issues or whether Verstappen simply excelled under the lights in Marina Bay. 

To put it into perspective, Verstappen's podium in Singapore was his first in the country since 2019. 

For McLaren and Norris' title chances, it must take what Verstappen achieved in Singapore very seriously.