The upcoming Japanese Grand Prix presents Red Bull with their second opportunity to secure the 2023 Constructors’ Championship title. Their previous chance in Singapore ended unexpectedly and disastrously for the Austrian team.

Red Bull entered the Singapore Grand Prix aiming to maintain their undefeated record in the 2023 season. However, their RB19 car struggled for grip right from the start at the Marina Bay Circuit. This difficulty was evident in the qualifying session, where neither of their drivers, Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, managed to progress to Q3.

On race day, they could only recover to fifth and eighth places, respectively. This setback allowed Ferrari, with Carlos Sainz claiming victory, to close the gap to Mercedes in the second-place standings to just 24 points.

Despite their troubles in Singapore, Red Bull maintains a commanding lead of 308 points over their nearest competitor. Unlike in Singapore, the fate of Red Bull’s championship pursuit in Japan will be firmly within their control.

For Red Bull to secure the Constructors’ Championship in Japan, they need to outscore Mercedes by just a single point and avoid being outscored by Ferrari by 24 points. The chances of either rival denying Red Bull the championship this weekend are slim. The Singapore Grand Prix marked the first time in the season that the required set of circumstances occurred to keep the championship battle alive until the Qatar Grand Prix.

Despite the Singapore setback, expectations within the motorsport community suggest that Red Bull is likely to return to its dominant form in Japan. The top three finishers in Singapore acknowledged that the RB19 is likely to be the car to beat in the remaining races. Additionally, Red Bull’s team boss, Christian Horner, denied that the team had been affected by a new Technical Directive related to flexy floors and wings.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff acknowledged Red Bull’s strong season, emphasizing that they have won all the races in the current year. He also noted that Singapore was a unique challenge, and he has no doubt that Red Bull will be formidable on conventional race tracks. Wolff appreciated the change of pace with a different winner and a podium that did not feature Red Bull, given their dominance throughout the year.