Verstappen building major momentum as ‘no-one very happy’ at McLaren
Max Verstappen took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix after winning the sprint, adding to a recent run of strong results. His Red Bull has become more predictable and competitive, giving him a chance to challenge at the front as the season closes, although the championship title is realistically out of reach.
Verstappen is 129 points behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli, with 175 points still available, so catching him would require an extraordinary run of wins and misfortune for Antonelli. McLaren, meanwhile, had a difficult Saturday: its drivers collided in the sprint, and the team is third in the constructors’ standings, just 11 points ahead of Red Bull. Verstappen starts ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, but Red Bull’s inconsistent starts could threaten his lead.
- Verstappen took Singapore pole after winning the sprint.
- He trails Antonelli by 129 points with 175 available.
- McLaren is only 11 points ahead of Red Bull.
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Formula One teams compete for two championships: one for drivers and one for constructors, based on the points earned by each team’s drivers. Max Verstappen drives for Red Bull, while Kimi Antonelli races for Mercedes; their results affect both the drivers’ title race and their teams’ standings.
McLaren’s drivers score points towards the constructors’ championship, where the team is close to Red Bull. The fight for those points matters to teams as the season progresses, while Verstappen’s own title chances depend on the points gap and how many races remain.