McLaren Racing heads into the Singapore Grand Prix as Formula 1’s hot new darlings and the team that just may be the ones to finally dethrone Red Bull and Max Verstappen

McLaren's Lando Norris set the pace in a floodlit second practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc close behind but Red Bull's championship leader Max Verstappen only 15th.

After starting 15th, Norris passed Verstappen late in the race to finish fourth, but the Dutch driver still leads by 59 points heading into the Singapore Grand Prix.

McLaren is ahead of Red Bull in the Formula 1 constructors’ race. Now for Lando Norris to put pressure on Max Verstappen for the drivers’ title.

Oscar Piastri’s win last week at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix put McLaren top in the teams’ standings — the key to F1’s lavish prize money — but teammate Norris only took a small bite out of Verstappen’s lead.

Verstappen is not upbeat about Red Bull's chances ahead of the Singapore GP, though he hopes for better fortunes than last year

The three-time world champion was called to see the stewards in Singapore following the first free practice session on Friday, after which the FIA announced that he was in breach of their international sporting code and would be forced to undertake duties similar to community service within F1.

With Ferrari, Mercedes pushing hard, McLaren will still have to battle at a track where Red Bull is off the pace and Verstappen has never won.

McLaren Racing enters the Singapore Grand Prix as Formula One's newest sensation, the vibrant papaya-clad team that could finally challenge Red

Sergio Perez has joked that Max Verstappen ’s struggles at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix could be attributed to the fact that the Dutchman was ‘not focused’. The reigning world champion could only finish fifth on the road around the streets of Baku.