Why Red Bull struggled in Singapore?

Red Bull arrived in Singapore expecting a tough weekend, but not to the extent seen in qualifying where Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez could manage only P11 and P13.

The RB18's traits combined with the Marina Bay circuit's demands to create the perfect setup storm according to Mark Hughes.

Verstappen admitted the car felt difficult on the simulator, contrasting Singapore to Suzuka which felt "amazing again."

The track's rapidly ramping grip exaggerated existing setup problems. Verstappen felt the car was "not too bad" in FP3 after tweaks, but further changes for qualifying "tipped it over" into an "undriveable" state.

A key factor was ride height. To avoid illegal plank wear over the bumps, Red Bull ran unusually high.

But unlike rivals, their aero isn't optimized for this. At Spa's Eau Rouge, Verstappen managed the issue by lifting.

Here the bumps were more spread out, necessitating running high everywhere.

The RB18's soft, long-travel suspension also backfired. This often allows excellent aero stability, but the high grip and body roll led to bottoming out.

Friday's softer setup left the car "massively bottoming out" under braking per Verstappen. Stiffening it up on Saturday helped marginally, but worsened the lack of rear grip.

Additional Saturday changes intended to improve the situation had the opposite effect.

Verstappen reported losing front grip under braking, causing "mini-slides." Perez spun on his final lap. Both felt the car behaved unpredictably and inconsistently.

With its strengths neutralized and weaknesses exaggerated, Red Bull has a setup mountain to climb.

But Verstappen believes Suzuka will show Singapore was a one-off, not a trend. The team will be working overtime to verify that assessment.

During the race, Red Bull's pace was slightly better but still lacking compared to previous weekends.

Verstappen finished P5 after being unable to pass Leclerc's Ferrari on a difficult overtaking circuit, despite having good pace on fresh mediums.

The safety car timing also hindered Red Bull's strategy.

Team boss Christian Horner acknowledged after the race that they understood the setup problems and would approach it differently next time.

Overall, it was a weekend of struggles unique to Singapore's demands.