Lewis Hamilton sees opportunity for other teams as Red Bull shifts focus to next year car development

During the Singapore Grand Prix, a thrilling five-way battle for victory unfolded in the final 17 laps, ultimately won by Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, marking the first non-Red Bull triumph of the 2023 season.

Despite a sudden dip in performance, Max Verstappen maintains a commanding 151-point lead in the drivers’ standings, with seven races remaining, and Red Bull leads the constructors championship by 308 points over Mercedes.

Lewis Hamilton, who finished third behind fellow Briton Lando Norris on Sunday, expressed his observations: “I don’t know why they’re struggling for pace, but it does present a positive opportunity. They haven’t been focusing on development. While McLaren and other teams have introduced upgrades, Red Bull is directing their efforts towards next year’s car.”

He further noted that Red Bull has less wind tunnel time due to being defending champions and facing reductions as a penalty for exceeding the cost cap. Additionally, they have advanced their development plans to 2024.

Many believe that Red Bull’s performance decline, with Max Verstappen finishing fifth and Sergio Perez eighth in Singapore, could be track-specific.

Red Bull’s team principal, Christian Horner, refuted claims that a recent technical directive introduced in Singapore to tighten rules on flexible wings had hindered their performance, stating, “We cannot attribute our performance to that directive as it hasn’t altered any component on our car.”

In related news, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff will miss the upcoming Japanese Grand Prix due to undergoing knee surgery in Austria.