Red Bull forced into last-minute change ahead of Singapore Grand Prix as recent problems laid bare

Red Bull Racing have been forced to make a drastic decision ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.

The Milton Keynes-based team won the last two Formula 1 titles thanks to the dominance of Max Verstappen.

However, the 2024 season is starting to become a problem after they were overtaken in the standings by a resurgent McLaren team.

During last weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, McLaren stars Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished first and fourth respectively while Verstappen came home fifth and Sergio Perez crashed out in the closing stages.

As a result, McLaren now have a 20-point lead at the top of the table.

Current world champion Verstappen is yet to win a race since tasting victory at the Spanish Grand Prix back in June.

The Red Bulls have recently struggled to keep up with the likes of McLaren and Ferrari as we head into the closing stages of the campaign.

Ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, Red Bull had planned to run a special livery for the upcoming two races.

However, those plans have now been scrapped due to weight issues.

As reported by The Express, a statement from Red Bull read: “Unfortunately, when we came to the testing phase of what some REBL CUSTMS designs could look like in real life on the RB20, we found the paint used to create these bespoke, full car takeover liveries added unforeseen and undue weight to the bodywork of the RB20.

“As I’m sure you can imagine, any additional weight compromises performance and the team are continuing to prioritise making this car as competitive as possible for the remainder of the 2024 season.”

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It continued: “As a result, it is with a heavy heart that we must let you know the team has made the decision to not run the REBL CUSTMS liveries on the RB20 at the Singapore and United States GPs.”

Meanwhile, Mercedes have unveiled a special green livery for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Seven-time F1 world champion Lewis Hamilton said: “The livery looks incredible. I can’t wait to see it on the car in the garage and then to get behind-the-wheel on Friday.

“It’s a privilege to celebrate this milestone, and our journey together, at such an important race.”

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Teammate George Russell added: “The design looks brilliant and is a fantastic tribute to such a milestone achievement.

“It is great to be able to recognise the importance of our relationship at the race closest to their home.”