Verstappen and McLaren take center stage in the title race as Alonso surprises.

      "I didn’t feel great in the car."

      Fernando Alonso surprised everyone in the paddock on Friday in Singapore by leading the first session and remaining within the top four throughout the day for Aston Martin. Red Bull’s Dr. Helmut Marko acknowledged that the Spaniard’s speed drew his attention. "We need to keep an eye on him. He was consistently quick all day," the Austrian noted.

      However, the focus was primarily on Max Verstappen and the two McLarens, as the drivers' championship landscape shifted once more following Verstappen’s consecutive victories in Monza and Baku. Lando Norris experienced a difficult day, noticeably slower than his teammate Oscar Piastri. "I didn’t feel very good with the car," Norris confessed. "Oscar is fast, the car is working well, so I have no complaints aside from my own performance."

      Marko deemed it "the best Friday in years in Singapore," as Red Bull introduced a new front wing for Verstappen. "The car doesn’t bounce over the bumps like it used to. The understeer is gone. And for the first time, Max didn’t complain," he added with a smile.

      Chief engineer Paul Monaghan elaborated on the upgrade. "We noticed with the penultimate version that there was still potential for enhancement," he stated. "When the simulations indicated quicker lap times, we decided to construct the wing. Our production team has just enough time before we shift focus to the 2026 car."

      Verstappen, who is now 69 points behind Piastri, mentioned that the car's feel reminded him of his recent wins. "It felt somewhat like the last two weekends," he confirmed. Dutch commentator Olav Mol stated on Ziggo Sport that the momentum in F1 appears to be changing. "It looks like McLaren has hit a standstill," he remarked. "What we saw a year and a half ago in Miami, when McLaren suddenly took off, seems to be occurring with Red Bull now."

      Norris also alluded to the mental pressure of competing against Verstappen. "If I could go back and choose a better path to becoming a driver, I would have parents who were racers, start in the paddock as a baby, begin karting at whatever age he did, and do more testing than anyone else," he stated. "People need to catch up because he was destined to be in this position, and he is also maximizing that opportunity, which is why he has four world championships."

      Even outside of F1, Verstappen has been racing and winning in GT3 at the Nurburgring. The 44-year-old veteran Alonso expressed interest in joining him for endurance races like Le Mans in the future. "Perhaps it’s preparation for Le Mans someday," Alonso told Viaplay. "Who knows? I would love to do that (with Verstappen) someday. His talent is unquestionable, and the 24 Hours of Le Mans is the premier endurance race worldwide."

      "I’m a huge fan of motorsport beyond Formula 1," the Spaniard added. "I find it more genuine, cleaner, and more enjoyable. I participated a few years ago and will do so again in the future. I’m unsure of the extent, but I will return to it in the future."