Can McLaren Secure World Championship Hopes in Singapore? Preview Inside

The Marina Bay Street Circuit has been a key part of F1 since 2008.

This year, McLaren has surpassed Red Bull in the standings, leading by 20 points.

Last season, Singapore was tough for Red Bull. It was the only race they didn’t win, with Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz taking the victory. Max Verstappen finished fifth and Sergio Perez eighth. Notably, this is the only track where Verstappen hasn’t won between Miami 2023 and Saudi Arabia 2024.

McLaren’s Big Opportunity

Could this be a bad sign for Verstappen? He qualified 11th last year after Lance Stroll‘s crash stopped the session. This season, Red Bull’s car is slower while McLaren and Ferrari keep improving. Red Bull hasn’t won since June in Spain.

McLaren can extend their lead now. Lando Norris went from 17th to 4th in Baku, and Oscar Piastri won after passing Charles Leclerc. Norris is now Verstappen’s closest rival, trailing by 59 points. Fans might think this is McLaren’s chance to shine.

Marina Bay is one of the toughest tracks due to humidity and concentration demands. There’s always at least one safety car each race since 2008.

Bookmakers favor Norris at 2/1 for victory, with Leclerc and Piastri at 4/1 and Verstappen at 9/1. If these odds hold, McLaren could widen their lead even more.

Can McLaren keep their lead? Despite early mistakes, they look strong enough to win the championship. The MCL38 performs well everywhere, and winning in Singapore could be crucial for them.

The Weather Forecast

Expect rain all weekend long. Friday has a 60% chance of thunderstorms which might affect practice sessions. Saturday’s rain chance drops to 24%, with temperatures around 26°C.

Sunday could see showers with a 51% chance of rain during the race, so teams need to watch their weather radars closely. Nighttime temperatures will also be around 26°C .

Singapore Grand Prix Schedule (BST)

Friday, September 20

• FP1: (10:30-11:30)
• FP2: (14:00-15:00)

Saturday, September 21

• FP3: (10:30-11:30)
• Qualifying: (14:00-15:00)

Sunday, September 22

• Race: (13:00)

What do you think will happen in Singapore?