Jamie Chadwick sends Max Verstappen blunt warning after what she saw at Singapore Grand Prix

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Jamie Chadwick has issued Max Verstappen a blunt warning for the Singapore Grand Prix after what the Sky Sports pundit detected after watching his Red Bull in practice.

Friday was far from a fantastic affair for Red Bull at Marina Bay with constructors’ title rivals McLaren and Ferrari throwing down the gauntlet. The Woking and Maranello outfits set the pace through both 60-minute sessions, while the team from Milton Keynes never got close.

Ferrari threw down the first marker after topping the first practice session for the Singapore GP with Charles Leclerc, just 0.076 seconds clear of McLaren’s Lando Norris. It was then the Briton’s turn to lead the Monegasque in FP2 but just 0.058s split the two pace setters again.

Red Bull would have wanted to close their margin to McLaren and Ferrari in FP2 after seeing Verstappen finish FP1 in fourth place, albeit 0.334s off the pace. Yet the gap instead grew to 0.871s with Sergio Perez this time their top man in P8 with Verstappen 0.423s slower in P15.

Jamie Chadwick fears for Max Verstappen’s Singapore GP as Red Bull lack grip

The streets of Singapore were expected to cause Red Bull problems after neither Verstappen or Perez reached Q3 last year. Verstappen further only finished last term’s meet in P5 in part thanks to George Russell crashing on the final lap while fighting to improve his P3 into a win.

READ MORE: Five unforgettable Singapore GP from Crashgate to Ferrari vs Max Verstappen

Now, only securing P15 with Verstappen in FP2 – a far more comparable session for the race than FP1 – has Red Bull fearing for their Singapore GP hopes. Three-time W Series champion Chadwick also feels Verstappen faces frustration after seeing his Red Bull struggle for grip.

“It does look like general grip,” Chadwick told Sky Sports F1 (20/9, 15:52). “What that means is they’ve not got the tyre really working for them.

“It’s effectively the difference between running a hard tyre whilst everyone else is running a soft tyre. That’s kind of the delta they’re looking at and, perhaps, the feeling that they have.

“They’re driving as quick as they can but that’s the most they can get. It’s just sliding across the surface everywhere. And when you’ve not got the confidence like that for someone like Max, to be able to go up against all the walls, it’s not going to happen.”

Red Bull need a strong Singapore GP with the constructors’ title slipping away

Verstappen does not feel the bumps and kerbs of the Marina Bay streets are too much of an issue for Red Bull. But Chadwick fears the Dutchman will not be able to push his RB20 to its limits in qualifying and the Singapore GP without Red Bull getting on top of their grip issues.

Even if Verstappen reduces his deficit to Norris and Leclerc over FP3, Red Bull will still not be totally convinced about their package before qualifying given the different conditions. So, he will go into Q1 holding the 26-year-old’s breath that Red Bull were able to find a proper fix.

Red Bull, too, will hold their breath hoping that Verstappen and Perez can score big points in the Singapore GP. McLaren moved into the lead of the constructors’ championship by 20 points after Oscar Piastri won the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and Ferrari are also only 31 behind.