Singapore Analysis: Ferrari and McLaren on par, Red Bull falls behind

By Carlo Platella
After the first day of action in Singapore, the third consecutive duel between Ferrari and McLaren is taking shape. Rather than between the teams from Woking and Maranello, we should be talking about Leclerc and Norris challengewho alternately led both sessions separated by a handful of hundredths. A long-distance battle is expected between the two teams during the night, working mainly on the mechanics of the cars to break the balance in their favor. The road ahead is more difficult for Red Bull and Mercedesfar from the top and plagued by the usual problems.

Leclerc and Norris on par

The first feedback on Friday is the reduced influence of the recent resurfacing of the Asian city. Considering also the 3 tenths gained with the addition of the fourth DRS zone, the difference between the times recorded in 2023 and 2024 reflects the normal evolution of the cars from one year to the next. Here then, exactly as in the last edition Ferrari starts off strongconfirming the great harmony between its drivers and the SF-24 with the city tracks.

This year, however, the Prancing Horse’s number one rival is McLaren. Leclerc and Norris stand out in particular, separated by a handful of thousandths not only on the finish line, but also in the best split times. The Ferrari driver in particular can find time more easily in the central sectorthe most driven on the track, having to work instead to get closer to Norris’s partial times in the final stretch, where it is important to show up with the tyres not yet overheated. The Englishman from McLaren says he is very satisfied with both the car and the lap completed, leading to the question of whether Leclerc has kept something in his pocket instead.

Towards qualification

The picture at the end of the day is one of substantial parity between Ferrari and McLaren, such that every detail will make the difference. The refinement of the set-up during the night will be decisive, with the support of those who will work on the simulators in the factories. In Singapore the race is in maximum load configuration, which is why the teams are limited in their margins of intervention on the aerodynamics. On the mechanical front, however, there are more options available, not only with regard to the suspension. Already in the first free practice sessions there are numerous radio communications in which the engineers instruct their drivers on how take advantage of the differential and engine brake adjustmentsin an attempt to give the car more rotation in Singapore’s tight corners.

Second aspect, but not for importance, will be the evolution of the trackexpected to improve by at least another second per lap. This unless there are thunderstorms, which if they were to fall during the night would wash the track back to its initial conditions, as well as lowering temperatures. Finally, particular attention will have to be paid to the brakeson one of the most severe circuits for the braking system. Among those reporting the greatest difficulties is certainly Carlos Sainz, who after the change of the front brakes in the second free practice continues to complain about some abnormal locking in braking.

A race not to be underestimated

The qualification will be particularly important, but Overtaking in racing is not impossible like in Monte Carlo. Already in the last edition we saw that overtaking is possible and it will be even more so with the new DRS zone, provided you can count on a large advantage in terms of tyres. If the driver behind is unable to make his way, attempting a second stop and then remounting and trying to overtake again on fresh tyres would certainly be a viable option.

Here are the race pace simulations seen on all three compounds available. In the first session Ferrari tests the hards over the long distance, switching to the mediums for the afternoon simulations. Different work plans instead for McLaren, which gives up on trying the hards with its drivers alternating on softs and mediums. In the only comparison of the evening Leclerc shows off on mediums with a slightly better race pace than Piastri. However, there is no direct comparison with Norris, who was currently using the soft compound.

Red Bull in trouble

The world champions are coming back, after having been part of the fight for victory in Baku at least with Perez. They would probably have been with Verstappen too, without that excessive correction made to the set-up before qualifying. Friday in Singapore is instead one to forget, with the Dutchman reporting a lack of grip on both the front and rearespecially at low speeds. Hence the need to apply more steering angle to turn the car, resulting in chronic understeer. This all creates a vicious circle, with the slides overheating the tires before the end of the flying lap.

Different ones are instead the difficulties reported by Sergio Perezparticularly intolerant of the RB20’s behavior under braking. Initially, the Mexican complains about the front sinking at the start of braking, lifting the rear which therefore loses load and stability. The problems do not end there, however, as Perez speaks of front brakes that brake more on one side than the other, a dynamic perhaps attributable to an imbalance in temperatures between the right and left sides. For the world champions, however, a night of long work lies ahead. If for Ferrari and McLaren it is a question of refining the already excellent starting base, in Milton Keynes it will be necessary to think about an upheaval of the set-up.

Mercedes far away

Equally critical is the situation of the Star, outside the top-10 with both drivers in the first session and seventh with Russell at the end of the day, while Hamilton is only eleventh. The problem of the W15 is once again the lack of grip on the rear axle, which has repercussions on the difficulty in traction when exiting slower corners. A dynamic that is both cause and effect, as with the repeated sliding the temperatures of the rear tyres skyrocket, accentuating the problem. Added to this is the strong understeer reported by Hamilton in the middle of the curve, forcing him to apply a greater steering angle and to stress the rear wheels laterally, reducing the grip available in traction.

For Mercedes as for Red Bull the problem is also Racing Bulls and Williams in great formthe latter presented in Singapore with other updates. The gaps between the center and the head of the group continue to narrow, with the leaders finding themselves losing more positions than usual in case of difficulty. Saturday’s qualifying thus promises to be very interesting, with possible surprises already in the first heats.