F1 Singapore Grand Prix storylines embrace Franco Colapinto seizing the second

Throughout the 2023 Components 1 season, just one Grand Prix didn’t see a Pink Bull driver on the highest step of the rostrum.

The Singapore Grand Prix.

That was the one Grand Prix the place Pink Bull couldn’t even handle a podium outcome, as each Max Verstappen and Sergio Pérez completed exterior the highest three. Nonetheless, that was a mere blip in an virtually unblemished season for Pink Bull, as they stormed to their second straight Constructors’ Championship, and Verstappen took residence his third straight Drivers’ title.

Because the grid returns to Marina Bay, issues are a lot totally different. Now, Pink Bull finds themselves in a three-way combat for the Constructors’ Championship and appears up within the standings for the primary time since early 2022. Whereas Verstappen holds a lead over Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and a red-hot Oscar Piastri within the Drivers’ race, even that benefit appears below menace.

As a substitute, McLaren and Ferrari are the speak of the paddock in the meanwhile, with the Woking-based group surging into the Constructors’ Championship lead on Sunday with Piastri’s win within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. For the primary time because the days of Kevin Magnussen and Jenson Button, McLaren is atop the desk, and so they present no indicators of letting up.

If there’s a menace to McLaren, one may argue that the menace just isn’t Pink Bull, however Ferrari. Whereas a midseason swoon appeared to knock Ferrari out of competition, the Scuderia roared again to life due to 4 straight podium finishes from Leclerc, together with an emotional victory on the Italian Grand Prix. With Pink Bull struggling proper now — extra on them in a second — and the circuit headed to the sight of final season’s blip, the door is open for a two-way combat between McLaren and Ferrari down the stretch.

Might this be 2008 another time?

That yr noticed a duel between McLaren and Ferrari for the Constructors’ Championship unfold over the ultimate half of the season, and when the grid arrived in Singapore Ferrari held only a five-point lead over McLaren. However a third-place end from Lewis Hamilton — together with Ferrari ending out of the factors — propelled McLaren into the lead.

However it might be the final time McLaren held the lead that yr, as Ferrari took residence the title. Three straight P3 finishes from Kimi Räikkönen, and a win within the season finale from Felipe Massa, noticed Ferrari to the Championship.

If current historical past, in addition to current feedback from Pink Bull, are any indication, this might be one other sturdy week for Ferrari and McLaren. One that might open the door to a two-way combat between them for the title.

That’s one in all a number of storylines to watch at this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

How will Pink Bull reply?

Picture by Clive Mason/Getty Photographs

After all, Pink Bull might need one thing to say in regards to the above.

Current chatter from the group — led by senior advisor Dr. Helmut Marko — sounds just like the group is nearly writing off the Constructors’ Championship. Talking with Sky Sports activities Germany, Marko was requested if Pink Bull had given up on the Constructors’ Championship this season.

“To be sincere, sure” was his stark reply.

Marko even known as Verstappen’s lead over Norris within the Drivers’ Championship into query. In the intervening time Verstappen leads Norris by 59 factors, however with Singapore looming as a possible “home of horrors” for Pink Bull, that margin might be trimmed much more this weekend.

Making the US Grand Prix in October maybe a “final stand” of types for the group.

“The progress is not going to be seen in Singapore but,” continued Marko. “We’ll simply must see how we get by way of that race, however we actually must do higher from Austin.

“In any other case the drivers’ championship can even be in jeopardy.”

On the similar time, Verstappen’s present benefit over Norris is substantial and would require both perfection from Norris — which appears unlikely given how properly different drivers are performing in the meanwhile, together with his teammate Piastri — or an entire collapse from Verstappen, which appears equally unlikely.

As well as, Pink Bull’s present 20-point hole to McLaren just isn’t insurmountable by any stretch of the creativeness. Even when they fall additional again this weekend, improved efficiency from Austin onward might be sufficient to nonetheless see them by way of to each titles.

Is Pink Bull in bother within the Constructors’ Championship? Sure. Might Verstappen nonetheless lose the Drivers’ title? Sure. Might each Pink Bull drivers battle this weekend? Sure.

Is it time to jot down Pink Bull off? Not by a protracted shot.

The brand new toast of the paddock

Components 1 has a brand new legend.

Franco Colapinto.

The mid-season sacking of Logan Sargeant at Williams might need been anticipated, given the driving force’s struggles and his impending substitute on the group by Carlos Sainz Jr. subsequent season. However the choice to slip Franco Colapinto into his seat was a little bit of a shock.

Nonetheless, since his promotion, Colapinto has proven promise and delivered factors. Colapinto completed simply exterior the factors in his F1 debut, ending twelfth within the Italian Grand Prix. He adopted up that efficiency with factors in his second F1 race — and his first race ever on the Baku Metropolis Circuit — with an eighth-place end within the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

Might that be sufficient to earn a full-time spot on the grid? Colapinto actually hopes so.

“They [Williams] confirmed a lot confidence and belief in placing me in a seat,” Colapinto advised the assembled media in Baku final weekend. “It was a really troublesome guess, and a guess that many individuals didn’t perceive.

“However I hope to be displaying what I’m able to and that I deserve a seat in Components 1. The thought and the chance that [team boss] James [Vowles] gave me are serving to me to indicate that.”

The trail to a full-time seat in F1 for 2025 has some roadblocks in Colapinto’s manner. Solely two seats stay open for subsequent season: One at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew alongside Yuki Tsunoda and one at Sauber subsequent to Nico Hülkenberg.

Daniel Ricciardo at present occupies that one seat at VCARB, and if the group have been to make a change one would count on that Liam Lawson would get the decision. As for the spot at Sauber, Valtteri Bottas stays an possibility for the group however one other younger driver, Gabriel Bortoleto, has emerged as an possibility for that seat.

Nonetheless, Colapinto has turned heads in simply two race weekends. Whereas the rising star would possibly see the trail to F1 blocked for 2025, his efficiency over simply two race weekends has many — this author included — believing it’s only a matter of time till he’s on the grid with a full-time seat.

An impending Liam Lawson announcement?

Picture by Peter Fox – Components 1/Components 1 by way of Getty Photographs

Is that this the week we lastly study Liam Lawson’s destiny for 2025?

Hypothesis in regards to the second seat at VCARB has sparked many a column in current months, however we might lastly be nearing the tip recreation. For weeks Marko has hinted at an announcement in September, and his most up-to-date feedback targeted on Singapore.

“We’ve got an concept, so simply wait till Singapore,” Marko advised Viaplay. “It’s nonetheless September after which we’ll have a transparent image.

“It can turn into clear there what’s going to occur [with VCARB’s second seat].”

Motorsport sought additional clarification from Marko, who indicated that an announcement would come within the three-week hole between Singapore and Austin. However with how information travels across the paddock, it would simply be a matter of time till study of Lawson’s future plans.

The combat for sixth

Whereas the battle on the tip of the F1 spear dominates the headlines, an equally fascinating combat continues between Haas and VCARB for sixth within the Constructors’ Championship.

Because of a pair of tenth-place finishes in current weeks — Kevin Magnussen’s P10 in Monza and Oliver Bearman’s P10 final weekend in Baku — Haas has closed to inside six factors of VCARB on this combat.

Nonetheless, VCARB has a little bit of “excellent news/dangerous information” to look ahead to this weekend in Singapore. Final yr, they took residence two factors due to a ninth-place end within the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. That’s the excellent news.

The dangerous information?

Lawson was the driving force who delivered that outcome.