McLaren Stumble, Red Bull Strike: A Title Battle Reignited?

How quickly things turn in Formula 1. Heading into the summer break, Verstappen’s hopes of a fifth straight Drivers’ crown looked dead and buried. Ninety-seven points adrift, Red Bull appeared a team on the decline. When Piastri emerged victorious at the Dutch GP, beating Verstappen on home soil, it felt like the final nail. Or so it seemed.

Fast forward two races, and Verstappen has dragged himself back into the conversation. A win in Monza was followed by a dominant drive in Baku, while McLaren endured a miserable weekend. Piastri showed the first signs of pressure with crashes in both qualifying and the race, compounded by a dreadful start that dropped him to the back of the pack. Norris, in the sister car, could do no better than seventh. As F1 heads to Singapore, the question is clear: are we in for a late-season twist?

McLaren Stumble

After carrying their pre-summer form into Zandvoort, McLaren looked imperious. The Constructors’ title all but secured, with only an internal battle between Norris and Piastri for the Drivers’ honours. But in Monza, McLaren were beaten on pure pace by Verstappen’s Red Bull. Despite being beaten for the first time in six races, the defeat at the “temple of speed” didn’t raise alarm in Woking.

Team Principal Andrea Stella put the deficit down to circuit specifics: “Pretty much in every corner we are the fastest, but the corners are relatively short-duration.” It’s not the first time Red Bull have shown pace this year, and McLaren’s dominant position in both championships meant this was little cause for concern, especially considering Piastri and Norris rounded out the podium positions.

Then came Baku, McLaren’s worst weekend of the season. A chaotic qualifying session, littered with six red flags, saw both drivers falter. Norris looked set for pole before the penultimate stoppage, but fell short on his final lap and lined up only seventh. Piastri fared worse – caught out by a greasy surface, his McLaren understeered into the barriers. He still started ninth, and many expected McLaren to recover through the field and salvage a decent result.

Instead, Piastri’s disastrous getaway, with the car slipping into anti-stall, dropped him to the back, before another crash rounded off his nightmare weekend. Norris couldn’t capitalise, he struggled to find his way past slower cars, finishing a frustrating seventh. For the Brit, just six points gained on his teammate felt like a huge missed opportunity.

As ever, McLaren’s slip opened the door for Verstappen. The four-time champion delivered a dominant win and hacked a significant chunk from Piastri’s lead — a timely reminder that neither he nor Red Bull can be written off in 2025.

Back from the Brink?

Red Bull have built a reputation for striking when opportunity knocks. During Mercedes’ dominance they regularly stole wins on off-days, and that instinct has kept them alive again in 2025.

Verstappen’s Grand Slam in Baku underlined the point. He was upbeat but cautious about his title chances: “It’s difficult to say at the moment, but for sure, the last two race weekends have been amazing for us.” The numbers are daunting — 69 points back with 175 still available — but not out of reach. If Red Bull can follow up at high-downforce Singapore, a circuit that many expect will suit McLaren, then alarm bells will be ringing in Woking.

Beyond the championship intrigue, Red Bull’s resurgence helps silence doubts about their direction. Horner’s dismissal, the exits of senior figures like Adrian Newey, and wider concerns about stability had many questioning their position in the sport. With Laurent Mekies stepping up from Racing Bulls and celebrating his first win as team principal, back-to-back victories suggest the team has steadied the ship. After Baku, Mekies refused to be drawn on Verstappen’s title chances, but admitted they may have “turned the corner” and would take the coming races “step by step.”

Now the focus shifts to Singapore, the season’s most demanding test for both drivers and cars. Heat and humidity are guaranteed, and managing temperatures has been a weakness for Red Bull in 2025. Can McLaren stem the tide, or have Red Bull found a magic bullet?

Armchair Analysis: Red Bull resurgence or false dawn?

It’s been a sensational few weeks for Red Bull, and the fact Verstappen is even back in the title conversation after McLaren’s dominance is nothing short of remarkable. Of all the drivers to apply pressure, the last name Norris and Piastri want chasing them is a four-time world champion Verstappen.

That said, context matters. Both wins came at circuits with unusual characteristics, favouring low-downforce setups where McLaren are less comfortable. In Baku, both drivers also made costly errors. Red Bull seized the moment, as great teams do, but Monza and Baku likely masked the deficiencies of the RB21. Singapore is exactly the kind of track McLaren need to reassert themselves, and their skill in tyre management could prove decisive in the heat.

But the flip side is intriguing: if Red Bull are competitive in Singapore, McLaren will feel the pressure. Unlike Verstappen, who knows how to navigate a title fight, this is uncharted territory for Norris and Piastri. And with momentum shifting, pressure can do strange things. Verstappen isn’t about to let this one slip quietly.