RED BULL 'SCRAP MAJOR CHANGE THAT WAS SET TO DEBUT AT SINGAPORE GP' AFTER TESTS HIGHLIGHTED 'UNFORESEEN' PROBLEM - AS THEY BID TO TURNAROUND MAX VERSTAPPEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP STRUGGLES

Red Bull were set to debut a key car change at the upcoming Singapore GP
McClaren's resurgence has piled pressure on Red Bull to make improvements
Max Verstappen's lead at the top of the championship has been drastically cut

Red Bull have made a late call to scrap a car change that was expected to debut at the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix after being overtaken in the constructors championship by McClaren.

Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri's McClaren resurgence have piled pressure on Red Bull to make rapid improvements, with Max Verstappen facing an increasingly uphill battle to win a fourth world championship.

The Dutch driver's lead at the top of the standings has now been cut to only 59 points with just seven racing remaining while McClaren also hold a 20 point lead in the constructors championship.

Red Bull have dominated the grid over the past three seasons, but a lack of competitive pace has seen them struggle this campaign with Verstappen without a win since clinching victory at the Spanish GP back in June.

Now the team have decided to cancel an alteration ahead of the weekend after tests indicated that it added unnecessary weight to the car as Red Bull look to find their previous winning edge.

A special livery change that would have altered the colour and appearance of Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez's vehicles was set to be showcased across two races starting in Singapore.

However, pre-race tests carried out by the team have shown that the paint was adding extra weight that the garage believe would further affect their attempts to regain ground on McClaren.

That has prompted the design modification to be halted with Red Bull no longer proceeding with the change with the existing livery that has been used throughout the year set to continue.

'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,' Red Bull said in a statement via the Express.

'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.

'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.'

Verstappen is determined to put some much-needed breathing room between himself and McLaren competitor, Norris, who is bidding to win a first world championship.

However, the Singapore street circuit has previously proved difficult for the Red Bull ace after he previously finished fifth at the track last season.

2024-09-18T11:23:11Z dg43tfdfdgfd