Was Singapore a Red Bull anomally? Suzuka FP1 to reveal all
F1 NewsWednesday, 20 September 2023 at 10:18
Formula 1 found fresh air in the heat and humidity of Singapore on Sunday but for those celebrating the end of Red Bull's record reign of success, this weekend's 2023 Japanese Grand Prix may provide a reality check starting with Friday's FP1 session at Suzuka.
Until Singapore, Red Bull had won all 14 Grand Prix races this season with runaway leader Max Verstappen chasing his 11th victory in succession.
This time there was no Red Bull in the top 10 on the starting grid and a Red Bull-free podium at the end as Ferrari's Carlos Sainz held off McLaren's Lando Norris and Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton.
Singapore is something of an outlier and Red Bull are expected to bounce back at Suzuka where they won one-two last year and can also retain their constructors' championship.
"I wouldn't get carried away too much, I think Red Bull are always the main guys to beat and I think in Japan they will be back to where they used to be," commented Ferrari's Charles Leclerc.
"I expect Red Bull to dominate in Japan," agreed Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso. "Singapore was also not good for Mercedes in the past when they were dominating the championship, so it's a very special race weekend."
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff declared at the end of the race at Marina Bay Circuit: "It’s a breath of fresh air that we have a different winner, we have a podium without them. You’ve got to take the small positives in a year of dominance."
Red Bull rivals [and Liberty Media!] enjoyed the moment
Commercial rights holders Liberty Media may also be feeling some relief. Liberty's CEO Greg Maffei recognised at a Goldman Sachs conference earlier this month that double world champion Verstappen's runaway success was not ideal from a business perspective, however remarkable in sporting terms.
It raised concerns and challenges for F1 to sell the sport, Maffei admitted at the time: "The reality is we have a very attractive competitive product, other than the fact that Max is that fast.
"Short of breaking his leg, a la Tonya Harding, I’m not sure what we can do about that," he joked, referencing the 1994 Winter Olympic scandal where the U.S. skater's rival Nancy Kerrigan was attacked by a hired assailant.
The sport found its own solution in Singapore, with Red Bull struggling all weekend and Verstappen finishing only fifth even if he did extend his lead over teammate Sergio Perez to 151 points.
Removing Red Bull from the equation also offered a thrilling vision of how exciting Formula 1 could be without one dominant team, as four drivers scrapped it out nose-to-tail for victory and podium spots in the final dramatic laps of the race at Marina Bay.
Las Vegas may prove more of an extravaganza when Formula 1 takes to the Strip in November but four cars and three different teams going into the final lap nose-to-tail and fighting for the win takes some beating.
Suzuka may see a return of the stranglehold. If not, the breath of fresh air could turn into something altogether more bracing.
Meanwhile, if Red Bull finish Sunday's Suzuka race holding a lead of 309 points, or more, over their nearest rivals they will be F1 World Champions. They currently lead Mercedes by 308 points.
Although Verstappen has a slim chance of being triple World Champ in Japan on Sunday, he is most likely to wrap it up in Qatar.
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