Red Bull’s stunning team effort puts Verstappen in driving seat for title

Max Verstappen may be pushing the pedals in Singapore on Sunday as he attempts to seal his second Formula One world championship but the Dutchman and the rest of the paddock know it is his Red Bull team who have been masterfully pulling the strings this season.

Verstappen’s march to the title has been so fearsome it now seems almost as if it was inevitable from the off, yet this was far from the case. 2022 has been a masterclass from an F1 team firing at every level. Red Bull have stepped up at the sharp end with such confidence and precision that they swiftly imposed a sense of inevitable success that left their rivals reeling. On occasion that was quite literally: the nightmare of a Ferrari crew bringing only three wheels to a pitstop at Zandvoort will doubtless haunt Maranello for some time to come.

Verstappen will take the title at Marina Bay if he wins and takes the fastest lap so long as Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull teammate Sergio Pérez finish below eighth or third, respectively. It is not a likely scenario but, regardless,still, if it is not sealed in Singapore it almost certainly will be at the next race in Japan.

Expect one of Verstappen’s first reactions when the deed is done to be thanking his team profusely and showing gratitude for the car they have developed. Both have been exceptional, regardless of the noise now surrounding the team over allegations of breaching the budget cap last season.

After they expended so much time, energy and money in a brutal title fight last year there were fears it might have been at the expense of this year’s model but under all-new regulations Red Bull’s chief technical officer, Adrian Newey, delivered another mighty ride in the RB18.

The low-drag concept – allied