Max Verstappen does not believe that the weight problems that affected Red Bull in Monaco earlier in the season will be a factor as Formula 1 returns to the Singapore Grand Prix. The new technical regulations for 2022, including 18 inch wheels made it a challenge for some teams to meet the 798kg minimum weight target with Alfa Romeo the only team to start the season not being overweight. As a result of the increased weight, cars were more prone to understeer - a trait Verstappen does not like in his Red Bull with the World Champion preferring a sharp front-end to rotate the car. These factors combined in Monaco to mean he was out-qualified and out-raced by teammate Sergio Perez, coming home third on the day. However, as the RB18 has been developed weight has been shaved off with Verstappen currently on a five-race winning streak and the cusp of a second world title - which he can win at Marina Bay if he out-scores Charles Leclerc by 22 points or more. But he is confident the problem that hampered his race in Monaco - the last circuit of a similar nature to Singapore - will not crop up.
Verstappen confident of Red Bull in Singapore
"[Monaco] was just the wrong place for the car to be overweight," Verstappen told media including RacingNews365.com. "That's why we're just understeering and where a lot more prone to front-locking, but I don't think it will be a problem in Singapore. "But maybe we encounter different kinds of things. We haven't been there in a while and it's normally quite a bumpy track. "We just need to work on the setup, see how these cars react to the bumps, and try to go as fast as possible."
Verstappen on cusp of title
Five wins in the last five races has propelled Verstappen to 116 point championship lead with just six rounds remaining in Singapore. After the return to Marina Bay, there will be 138 points left on the table in the season, meaning that if the #1 takes a sixth consecutive victory, his 12th of the season, nearest challenger Leclerc must finish in the eighth or higher to keep the championship going to the next race in Japan.
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