Red Bull returned to the F1 podium as Max Verstappen took second place in the Singapore Grand Prix.

On a weekend where the team initially predicted to struggle, Verstappen took the runner-up spot in the race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, taking a first podium in four races.

Second saw him limit the damage to race winner and championship rival Lando Norris, although Verstappen still finished over 20 seconds behind the McLaren as the Woking-based team extended their lead over Red Bull in the Constructor’s.

The biggest threat to Norris’ win ended up being himself, with the McLaren brushing the wall twice in near-miss incidents, but Verstappen was otherwise unable to keep up and instead was content in having a comfortable margin to Piastri and the rest behind.

Sergio Perez finished tenth, with the Mexican in the second Red Bull limited after qualifying outside the top ten on Saturday. He ended up unable to pass Nico Hulkenberg, who finished in the position ahead in the Haas, although Perez was able to maintain a gap to prevent the Williams of Franco Colapinto from catching up.

The results of the Singapore Grand Prix mean that Verstappen remains in control of the Driver’s Championship ahead of a month break in the F1 calendar until the United States Grand Prix in Texas in mid-October.

Although Verstappen hasn’t won since the Spanish Grand Prix in June, the Dutchman holds a 52 point lead on Norris, with the gap prevented from falling by a further point after Verstappen’s former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo took the fastest lap point away from Norris in what may be his final Grand Prix with Red Bull’s junior team RB.

Verstappen’s team-mate Perez sits 8th in the standings with 144 points. He is 11 behind Mercedes’ George Russell in 7th and 82 clear of Fernando Alonso, with the Aston Martin driver in the position behind.

In the Constructor’s Championship, Red Bull lose further ground on McLaren in the position above. The Milton Keynes-based Red Bull team has 475 points, which is now 41 adrift of McLaren after Norris won and his team-mate Oscar Piastri finished third. Red Bull are 34 ahead of third place Ferrari, who finished the Singapore Grand Prix with Charles Leclerc fifth and Carlos Sainz in seventh.