After weeks of giving chase, McLaren seized the lead in the constructors’ championship last weekend at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, finally overtaking Red Bull and cementing its spot atop F1 for the first time since 2014. Oscar Piastri played the hero for the team, winning for the second time in five races, while Lando Norris climbed up to fourth from an uncharacteristically low starting place down in 17th.
McLaren now finds the target on its back as the paddock makes way for another street circuit at the Singapore Grand Prix. Drivers will take to the track at the challenging Marina Bay circuit this upcoming weekend with two championships still hanging in the balance. McLaren holds just a 20-point lead over Max Verstappen-led Red Bull, a margin that could easily be flipped in a single race. Verstappen, meanwhile, maintains an advantage over Norris in the drivers’ standings, but the gap has narrowed to 59 points with seven races left. Apart from the battles at the top, intrigue abounds in the midfield and plenty of drivers are still racing for the few available spots on next year’s grid, making the stakes high across the board.
