As the RB19s rolled out for FP1 on Friday, it swiftly became apparent that the cars had fallen out of their hitherto very wide operating window. Max Verstappen called his ride “undrivable” as he lacked confidence when hitting the brakes only to then turn in and find wayward cornering balance.
With Red Bull finally looking impeachable, comparisons were soon made to the 2015 visit to Marina Bay when the street circuit chewed up and spat out dominant force Mercedes. Back then, the team that had won 10 of the first 12 races amid its new-found 1.6-litre turbocharged hybrid dominance departed the circuit with Nico Rosberg only fourth and Lewis Hamilton having retired.
