Liam Lawson Stuns Max Verstappen in Singapore, Derailing Red Bull's 'Impossible' F1 Challenge

In a surprising turn of events, Liam Lawson, in only his third Grand Prix weekend, outperformed Max Verstappen and effectively derailed Red Bull's seemingly unstoppable season at the Singapore Grand Prix. Lawson's impressive performance saw him out-qualify the reigning world champion, marking a significant moment in the young driver's burgeoning F1 career and Red Bull's dominant run.

Why it matters:

• For months, Max Verstappen and Red Bull had been on an unprecedented winning streak, making the idea of an 'impossible' perfect season (winning every Grand Prix) seem increasingly plausible.
• Lawson's unexpected out-qualification of Verstappen at a challenging street circuit not only ended this 'perfect season' speculation but also highlighted his potential as a future F1 star.
• It exposed a rare vulnerability in the dominant Red Bull RB19, which struggled uniquely with the Marina Bay circuit, proving that even the most dominant teams can have off-weekends.

The Details:

• Lawson's Rapid Ascent: After a chaotic debut at Zandvoort and a quiet P11 at Monza, Lawson announced himself at Singapore, a notoriously demanding track for rookies.
• Red Bull's Unexpected Struggle: The RB19, previously invincible, struggled significantly with balance and its operating window at Marina Bay during practice and qualifying.
  • Sergio Perez was eliminated in Q2, finishing 13th.
  • Max Verstappen found himself on the bubble for Q3, a rare occurrence for the champion.
• The Qualifying Upset: Liam Lawson's flying lap of 1:32.166 was 0.007 seconds faster than Verstappen's best, relegating the Dutchman to 11th on the grid.
  • This was Verstappen's lowest qualifying position based on pure pace all season, with his 15th in Saudi Arabia due to a car failure.
• AlphaTauri Leads Red Bull: Lawson secured 10th place in Q3, making him the leading Red Bull-family driver on the grid.
• Race Performance: While Verstappen could only climb to fifth in the race – his only non-podium finish of the year – Lawson drove a solid race to finish ninth, scoring his first-ever F1 points.
• End of the Streak: Red Bull's inability to win in Singapore meant they lost the chance to become the first team to win every Grand Prix in a single season, echoing McLaren's 1988 record where they missed one race win (21 out of 22 wins).

What's next:

• Liam Lawson's performance in Singapore will undoubtedly fuel discussions about his future in Formula 1, potentially bolstering his case for a full-time seat.
• Red Bull will be keen to understand the specific issues that plagued their RB19 at Marina Bay to ensure it remains an isolated incident, especially as other teams continue to close the performance gap.
• The 'impossible' challenge of a perfect F1 season remains, for now, an unachieved feat, underscoring the immense difficulty of such a sustained level of dominance in the sport.