‘Mad Max’ celebration postponed: Red Bull party for ‘Checo’ in Singapore

the dutch Max Verstappenwhich could mathematically ensure the revalidation of the Formula One world champion title on Sunday when Singapore, he missed his first opportunity to do so; but his team red bullcelebrated his partner, the Mexican Sergio Perezwho won well on the Marina Bay circuit.

‘Czech’, born 31 years ago in Guadalajara (Jalisco), brilliantly won the recovered night race, absent from the World Cup for the past two years due to the covid-19 pandemic; and became the second driver, after the quadruple German world champion did so in 2011 Sebastian Vettelto win in the same year the two most significant urban circuits of the championship: Monaco and Singapore.

The Mexican, who wanted to be on the podium for the first time in Marina Bay, did it in a big way; leading from start to finish the most demanding race on the calendar -due to the high temperature, high humidity (Singapore is only 150 kilometers north of the equator) and the narrow and winding track-. A test made more complicated, because of the deluge that preceded it. And that it is played on a track that never completely dries up.

‘Czech’ won ahead of two Ferrari drivers, the Monegasque charles leclerc -that on Saturday he signed his seventeenth ‘pole’ in F1, the ninth of the year-, which he surpassed at the start; and the spanish Carlos Sainz, who, nonconformist, explained to Efe at the official press conference of the FIA ​​​​(International Automobile Federation) that took place in Marina Bay that, despite achieving his fourteenth podium since being in the queen category (the eighth of the course) , “not at all” is “happy” with his third place. Sainz is still fifth in the World Cup, but now has 202 points, just one behind the English George Russell (Mercedes), who set the fastest lap in the race that did not earn him any additional points, as he did not finish in the top ten.

The Mexican from Red Bull, barring real misfortune will win the Constructors’ World Cup together Verstappen For his team, he celebrated his second victory of the year -after the one he achieved at the end of May on the streets of Monte Carlo- and the fourth since he raced in F1.

The driver from Guadalajara premiered his win locker at the Sakhir Grand Prix, where the Bahrain circuit ‘doubled’ in 2020 to make a calendar in the middle of the hardest part of the pandemic, when he was a member of Racing Point ; ‘heir’ to the Force India structure and now “mutated” into Aston Martin; and achieved his first victory as a driver for the Austrian team last year in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.

‘Czech’ lessened the possible annoyance his team’s supporters were expected to see ‘Mad Max’ celebrating his second World Cup (almost two days after the Dutchman celebrated his twenty-fifth birthday) on a historic day for Mexican sport, where, after listening to the national anthem and the ‘Cielito Lindo’ sung to him by how many times the compatriots cheered him on in Singapore; He commented to Efe that the victory was “very important” for him, as it ended the “negative streak promoted by some media”, which caused “some to demand that” he be kicked out of Red Bull; and things like that”.

Verstappen, eighth on the grid, couldn’t get past seventh in a race where he suffered tremendously; and had to delay, at least for a week, a celebration that could have taken place at Suzuka, the circuit owned by Honda, supplier of the Austrian team’s engines. Where he will be mathematically champion if in that race he gets eight points Leclerc and six to ‘Czech’. There are several combinations for that to happen, but the simplest of all is for the new sporting idol from the Netherlands to win the race with the fastest lap.

The other Spanish Fernando Alonsowho had previously scored points in ten consecutive races, suffered his second consecutive retirement -after Monza (Italy)-, again due to reliability problems with his Alpine, again with problems on the machine.

The 41-year-old Spaniard, who next year will be an Aston Martin driver, was unable to put the icing on the cake of a sensational performance – he finished fifth in qualifying on Saturday – in a weekend where F1 honored him, by beating the historic record of contested races. That he raised to 350 at Marina Bay, where he achieved two of his 32 victories: in 2008, with Renault, and in 2010, with Ferrari.

There were good vibes before the race all around Alonso, but his Alpine’s engine stopped on lap 21. Fernando complained about a new reliability problem-the Spaniard estimated that some 60 points had escaped him because of it-, but he decided to quickly turn the page, thinking of Japan, a country where he won twice. One at Fuji, in 2008; and another, two years before, in Suzuka, where he runs next weekend and which the Asturian star described as one of his “favorite tracks”.

After Japan, F1 comes to America, where the United States Grand Prix will be held in Austin (Texas) a weekend before the one in Mexico, which will take place at the Autodromo de los Hermanos Rodríguez in the Mexican capital next October 30 . A scenario where local fans can dream of a new victory for their idol.

Interlagos, in Sao Paulo, will host the Brazilian Grand Prix on November 13, exactly one week before Yas Marina hosts the final Grand Prix of the season, Abu Dhabi.

But the immediate future points to Japan: to Suzuka, Red Bull and Honda preparations are complete for Verstappen’s second big party.