The weekend in the Red Bull garage began with the most absolute calm because they were aware that they could proclaim world champions with Max Verstappen with five races still to be played, they even brought a table football to the pitlane to relax in the days prior to action on the track at the Singapore Grand Prix.
However, they still have to ratify the Dutchman’s title and the constructors’ title, which they are on the right track because they are 139 points ahead of their closest rival, Ferrari. To do this, they must have the help of the second driver, a Sergio Pérez who did not start in the best possible way in free practice due to problems in his car.
The Mexican was quite absent in the initial stages of the Asian night, but as the sessions went by, the one from Guadalajara was getting closer to the rest of the favorites until he reached the classification on Saturday.
In the decisive moments in Singapore, the Red Bull rider was postulating himself as a candidate for pole position when seeing the changing conditions of the wet asphalt, and although he risked brushing against the walls, he was just 22 thousandths behind the best time of Charles Leclerc, who with his Ferrari did a 1:49.412 to take pole position, the ninth of the campaign for the Monegasque.
Thus, the Mexican will be forced to attack his teammate’s rival for the World Cup so that they can celebrate in the Austrian box the second crown of Max Verstappen, who will start from eighth place due to a “calculation error” by the team from Milton Keynes on the amount of fuel they put in the Dutchman’s RB18.
Checo pointed out that the main reason for his second place in Marina Bay was the rain that affected a large part of the session, wetting the asphalt until in the final Q3 they brought out the soft dry tires.
“It was very difficult to know the conditions today, and tomorrow it could also be wet, so it will be very important not to make any mistakes,” explained the Mexican in the post-qualifying interviews.
The Red Bull rider will be on the front row, and he looks forward to that possible victory on a track that hasn’t always smiled on him: “To begin with, there is a good opportunity at the start to attack Charles [Leclerc] and go for the victory”.
“It’s quite disappointing to lose pole position by two hundredths, but it’s a great team result,” Checo lamented. “My team has done a fantastic job, a wise decision, and I’m happy.”
