Red Bull's Baku upgrade has flipped the pecking order. Max Verstappen won't catch Kimi Antonelli in the 2026 championship, but the RB22 is now the class of the field — quick across three wildly different circuits. Singapore used to expose Red Bull's weaknesses; Verstappen crushed it.
Antonelli's doing the math that wins titles. The Mercedes driver maximized Sunday and extended his points lead despite frustrations with his team's latest upgrade. That's the difference between him and last year's Oscar Piastri — he's not dropping points when it counts.
Mercedes has a problem. Their upgrade hasn't delivered, and Verstappen's momentum could roll into a 2027 title challenge. The Silver Arrows need to decide whether to salvage this season or pivot to next year's car.
Ferrari sits second in the constructors' standings with breathing room. Liam Lawson's seventh in Singapore — his eighth top-seven in sixteen starts — keeps tightening Racing Bulls' call on their 2027 lineup.
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