A raised ride height for the bumpy Marina Bay street circuit put the RB19 out of its comfort zone last weekend. Max Verstappen recovered from 11th to fifth as Sergio Perez scrapped to eighth.
That left the door open for Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz to lead Lando Norris to score an expertly controlled victory. In doing so, he ended Red Bull’s 100% win record so far this season.
But the grid believes this was only a blip for Red Bull and that a return to a conventional circuit at Suzuka this weekend will enable the RB19 to rediscover its set-up sweet spot.
Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff, who reckoned the change in winner was a “breath of fresh air” for F1, said: “They have been so strong and that’s why they’ve won so many races this year. We must not forget that just because we have this outlier here in Singapore.
“I have no doubt they will be strong for the more conventional race tracks. But it is a breath of fresh air that we have a different winner and a podium without them, so we’ve got to take the small positives in a year of Red Bull dominance."
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Third-placed Lewis Hamilton reckoned it was “great” to see other teams in the form of Ferrari and McLaren leading the podium celebrations.
Sainz, meanwhile, said his team had made the most of a rare chance on offer at Singapore but expected Red Bull to return to winning ways.
Source: Autosport