Max Verstappen has momentum in F1 title fight in Singapore as McLaren stumbles

It’s the one race on this year’s Formula 1 calendar that Max Verstappen has never won. It could be crucial to his chances of a series comeback.

Verstappen heads into this week’s Singapore Grand Prix with back-to-back wins which have made a fifth consecutive title go from near-impossible to merely unlikely.

Meanwhile, standings leader Oscar Piastri had an awful weekend at the last race in Azerbaijan, title rival Lando Norris couldn’t capitalize, and their McLaren team has started making mistakes at pit stops.

Verstappen is “genuinely a challenger,” Norris said Thursday. “A couple of weeks ago they brought some upgrades, and it seems like that’s put them back on the same level as us.”

Despite that, McLaren can seal the constructors’ title this weekend if one of its cars is on the podium.

Alonso fastest in practice

Red Bull’s Verstappen was on the pace as he went third-fastest in Friday’s first practice session, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso surprisingly leading the way.

Alonso was fastest by 0.150 of a second from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with Verstappen .126 further back and Lewis Hamilton in fourth in the other Ferrari.

Piastri was fifth after complaining his car wasn’t responsive enough when turning into corners and Norris sixth. Conditions in the daytime practice weren’t representative of Saturday’s qualifying and Sunday’s race, which are held after dark under floodlights.

Piastri was among the drivers wearing a cooling vest Friday after a “heat hazard” was declared for the race weekend.

‘One crash… and it’s game on’

F1 drivers were challenged Thursday to estimate how likely it was Verstappen could pull off what would be a historic surge in the title fight. Norris was cautious — “there’s a chance, so more than zero” — but others suggested it’s already a real three-way title fight.

As he has done all season, Verstappen played down his title chances, saying he’s just taking things race by race and not thinking about the championship.

Verstappen is 69 points behind Piastri with seven races to go. That’s still a big gap but his recent form, combined with glaring errors at McLaren, suggests the momentum has swung.

“One crash between Lando and Oscar and it’s game on,” said Williams’ Alex Albon, who put Verstappen’s chances at 15%.

Singapore’s stifling heat and twisty track are unlikely to favor a Red Bull car whose latest upgrades work best on high-speed circuits, Leclerc said. He still gave Verstappen a 20% chance of being on top at the end of the season.

The hunter, not the hunted

There aren’t many firsts left in F1 for a driver like Verstappen, but he’s never really needed a late-season comeback before.

Verstappen’s first title in 2021 came down to a controversial last-lap call against Lewis Hamilton, but before that he had a modest lead for much of the season. His titles in 2022 and 2023 were displays of record-breaking dominance. Last year he was the front-runner and Norris the underdog.

There’s little doubt Verstappen has the mindset to chase the McLarens down. “We all know Max and how dangerous he is when there’s something to grab,” Haas driver Esteban Ocon said.

It’s a big shift from even a few months ago, when Red Bull was struggling and there was speculation over Verstappen’s future with the team. He eventually confirmed he’ll stay.

Verstappen seems more relaxed than ever, too.

He’s opened up about his family life with his baby daughter, Lily — a good sleeper, Verstappen told German broadcaster Sky — and he’s spending more time on his hobby.

Being a huge motorsports fan even by F1 standards, that hobby is GT3 sportscar racing in Germany, where Verstappen claimed his first win last week.

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing