FILE PHOTO: Formula One F1 - Azerbaijan Grand Prix - Baku City Circuit, Baku, Azerbaijan - September 15, 2024 Red Bull's Max Verstappen reacts after the race REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov/File Photo
(Reuters) - A defiant Max Verstappen returns to Singapore with Red Bull behind in the standings for the first time in 55 races and braced for another tough battle at the scene of their worst weekend last season.
The floodlit night grand prix was the only round Red Bull did not win in 2023, the most dominant Formula One campaign ever, and the only one without Verstappen or teammate Sergio Perez on the podium.
If that was an anomaly, another defeat would surprise nobody this time.
The champions have not won any of the last seven races and lag McLaren by 20 points with Ferrari, winners at Marina Bay last year with Carlos Sainz, 31 further behind in third.
Fifth in Baku last Sunday, triple champion Verstappen has only twice been on the podium since he won in Spain eight races ago and could see a big chunk taken out of his 59 point lead over McLaren's Lando Norris.
"We have learnt from what we did wrong last week in Baku and can try a few things differently," said the Dutch driver, who has yet to win in the city state where tropical storms and safety cars pose an additional hazard.
"Marina Bay is a cool circuit but we do expect this to be a bit more of a challenge," he added. "We think we know what we can do better and of course need to make sure that we are optimising the set up.
"It will be important to keep the car in control a bit more in the slow speed so it doesn't jump around and this should hopefully help us a lot.
"We are continuing to fight for the Championship: we win and lose as a team and are going to keep pushing and try and come back stronger."
History suggests it will be more damage limitation with McLaren, Ferrari and Mercedes fancying their chances in a season that has seen seven different winners and the top four teams all win at last three races.
While Perez won in 2022, the Mexican was eighth last time and has not been on the podium since April. He collided with Sainz in Baku while fighting for third but has a strong record on street circuits and a point to prove.
"On Sunday night I want us to be able to say we did the best we could to win this race and that’s what our full focus will be on," he said.
While Norris finished second in Singapore last year, Australian teammate Oscar Piastri has scored more points than anyone in the last seven races and won impressively in Baku.
"I'm ready to go for it again in Singapore," said Piastri, whose team are chasing their first constructors' title since 1998.
"We have a good rhythm going in the team, and we now have to keep adding as many points as possible."
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc won in Monza and started on pole position in Baku before finishing second while Sainz, making his 200th start this weekend, collided with Perez.
"Qualifying takes on great importance at the Marina Bay track and we are well prepared for it, so I’m sure we can give all our opponents a hard time," said team boss Fred Vasseur.
Mercedes' seven-times world champion Lewis Hamilton meanwhile has the chance to match Sebastian Vettel's record five wins in Singapore.
(Reporting by Alan Baldwin in London, editing by Christian Radnedge)
