Construction work around the final sector of the Marina Bay city circuit means four of the characteristic 90-degree turns have been ditched. The replacement, a longer back straight, will ease the strain on the rear tyres. That could leave the door open for Ferrari in qualifying.
The anticipated limited effectiveness of DRS will then slow a Red Bull recovery should one of Max Verstappen or Sergio Perez miss out on pole position. And the RB19 has never properly excelled over the lumps, bumps and kerbs that pepper a street track.
