Which Teams Should Be Watched at the Singapore Grand Prix?
The 2025 Azerbaijan Grand Prix was filled with surprise upsets and shocking performances, from World Champion Max Verstappen’s second consecutive victory to stone-cold Oscar Piastri’s lap one retirement. As the teams prepare for what many call the most difficult race on the calendar, there’s sure to be a significant changeup in both strategy and results. Features of the Baku circuit that gave some teams an advantage will be absent on the Marina Bay Circuit, meaning the Saturday Qualifying could look entirely unlike the record-setting long Qualifying in Azerbaijan. The Singapore Grand Prix is shaping up to be an exciting weekend as the drivers prepare for a true battle on the track.
While McLaren’s weekend in Baku was undoubtedly a disappointment for all involved, the lackluster performance from Piastri was entirely uncharacteristic of the usually stoic Aussie. After his crash in Qualifying, Piastri found himself in unfamiliar territory in the middle of the pack, leaving him jittery and nervous. Still the championship leader, Piastri will be looking to settle his nerves in Singapore and regain his position at the front of the grid. Runner-up in the WDC is McLaren’s Lando Norris, who also had a mediocre weekend at Baku, only managing a seventh-place finish and four points towards the Driver’s Standings. Norris faced backlash from fans and critics alike for failing to make the most of Piastri’s DNF and not making a more significant impact on the now 25-point gap between the two. However, McLaren’s MCL39 is more suited to a high-downforce configuration on the Marina Bay Circuit, so the Papaya Duo is expected to be at the top of their game this weekend.
Conversely, Red Bull Racing’s RB21 has not performed well this season in the high-downforce configuration. Verstappen pulled off a blistering pace in Baku Qualifying, taking pole position for the main race. Many believe that Verstappen’s incredible abilities will take him to another victory this weekend, but it is unlikely that the car will be able to replicate the speed that he achieved in Azerbaijan. Red Bull's second seat, Yuki Tsunoda, also saw a season-best performance at Baku with a sixth-place finish, but having struggled to earn points all season long, it’s unlikely that he will stay towards the top in Singapore.
Another season-best was achieved in Baku by the underdog team Williams, with a P3 finish from Carlos Sainz, marking his first podium with the team, Williams’ first podium since 2021, and the first podium for team principal James Vowles since joining Williams in 2023. Similar to Red Bull’s car, the car that Sainz took to third place is not expected to perform at the same pace in Singapore. Vowles had previously taken to Instagram to communicate his faith in the car for the Baku circuit, but he has not shown the same faith for Marina Bay. That aside, Carlos Sainz and teammate Alex Albon have both shown great skill this season. Another podium finish is probably out of the question for Williams, but there is a reasonable expectation that both drivers will finish in point-scoring positions.
After a second and fourth place finish respectively from drivers George Russell and Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes AMG is looking to be the most consistent team between the two weekends. Especially when considering the number of accidents he’s had previously this season, Antonelli showed significant improvement at Baku with very few mistakes, as many of the more experienced drivers went into the wall. This bodes particularly well for the Marina Bay circuit, one that many drivers find particularly challenging. Russell made several impressive overtakes, even more impressive considering he was battling the flu all weekend. McLaren is still likely to lead over Mercedes, but a podium is entirely plausible for the silver arrows in Singapore, or at least a high grid position.
