Red Bull brims with silent optimism: McLaren's F1 reign at risk?

Since the Dutch Grand Prix Red Bull have taken steps ahead with the configuration of the car, and a floor update introduced in the RB21 at Monza has seen the Dutchman secure back-to-back wins for the first time this season, resulting in a 35-points gash in Oscar Piastri's championship lead.

After Verstappen's recent win in Baku the McLaren fold were quick to label the reigning world champion a title contender, something that Red Bull in contrast, kept very much hush-hush about.

The Austrian team instead chose to look ahead to Singapore, a known bogey track for Red Bull. If they are strong there, then hope in Verstappen's title charge is indeed rekindled.

Speaking with regard to how Red Bull expects to perform at the Marina Bay Circuit, the Austrian team's principal Laurent Mekies said: "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.

"So, I don't think that Singapore will be a repeat of Budapest," he added.

"But it won't be like Budapest," an assured Mekies concluded.

In two race weekends Verstappen went from being 104 points off the championship lead, to 'only' 69 behind Piastri, as the F1 2025 season heads into the final seven Grands Prix, with a further three more sprint weekends still left to go as well.

Red Bull seem to have found the key to unlock the RB21's hidden potential, and although Verstappen's possibilities of snatching the title seem slim, Formula One has already bore witness to what happens when the Dutchman is given even half a chance. This championship is all but decided.

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