Red Bull and Toro Rosso have not had many opportunities to shine this season, but this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix will be one of them.
So far in 2015, Red Bull's best races by far have been the Monaco and Hungarian Grands Prix—at the two tracks most similar to Singapore's Marina Bay street circuit.
Likewise, Toro Rosso's Max Verstappen scored the team's best finish not only of the year, but since 2008, with a fourth-place in Hungary. He was also impressive in Monaco before crashing into Romain Grosjean while trying to find a way past late in the race.
Red Bull have a good chassis, as has usually been the case in recent years, thanks to a design team led (less so, now) by Formula One genius Adrian Newey.
"We've had quite a few updates, all year we've had updates, but I'd say since Silverstone it's really come on strong and we seem to be in the window a lot easier now with getting the car there," Daniel Ricciardo said recently, per ESPN F1's Nate Saunders.
This year, Toro Rosso's car is also quite strong. "We look at GPS data after every session and compare ourselves with Ferrari, Williams and even Mercedes," Verstappen's team-mate, Carlos Sainz Jr., told Autosport's Edd Straw.
"After watching our data from Barcelona, I'm convinced that this car, with a very decent engine, will be fighting with Williams and, on some occasions, with Ferrari."
And that is the problem for the two Red Bull teams: the lack of a decent engine. Renault have struggled since the introduction of the hybrid V6 engine formula last year and now Red Bull are openly courting other power-unit manufacturers.
Around slow, twisty street circuits, though, engine-power deficiencies are more easily masked than at recent high-speed tracks like Spa-Francorchamps and Monza. Therefore, Singapore offers the last best chance for Red Bull and Toro Rosso to score some serious points in 2015.
The greater likelihood of retirements in Singapore only adds to Red Bull and Toro Rosso's advantage. With a long race (often pushing the two-hour time limit), hot temperatures, potential rain (the BBC is predicting it for all three days) and little-to-no run-off area inside the Armco barriers, attrition will be high.
It was late-race chaos and retirements that allowed Verstappen to finish so high in Hungary, but, as he found out in Monaco, that can go either way. If the Bulls (Red and Rosso) can make it to the end, though, they should be well-placed.
According to the Toro Rosso website, Verstappen said Singapore, "reminds me of Monaco, as we will be driving close to the walls and it won't be easy to overtake, but I'm sure we will have some good fun out there!"
In Monaco, Verstappen executed some of the most thrilling and inventive overtaking manoeuvres of the season. Despite his young age, he has demonstrated the race craft of a savvy veteran, and Singapore will be another opportunity for him to show it off.
With the right breaks—particularly if one or both of the Mercedes drivers run into problems (not likely, but not impossible, either, as we saw in Italy)—one of the Toro Rosso drivers could even find themselves fighting for the podium. In that case, the money is on Verstappen.
Red Bull, meanwhile, are looking to solidify their fourth place in the constructors' standings. Williams, 75 points ahead, are likely too far to catch. Force India are 50 points behind, but outscored the Bulls 24 to 17 at the last two races, even with Daniil Kvyat's highly impressive fourth-place finish in Belgium.
The Russian will just be hoping his drink system works this year. It malfunctioned at last year's race, while he was still driving for Toro Rosso, and he complained over the team radio, "I need to stop. I need a drink, I'm dying here!" per ESPN F1.
Earlier this year, Kvyat and Ricciardo were second and third in Hungary (and fourth and fifth in Monaco). Last year in Singapore, with Sebastian Vettel and Ricciardo at the wheel, the Bulls were second and third.
Toro Rosso were also strong in Singapore last year, with Jean-Eric Vergne finishing sixth—their best result in six years.
There are also just two races this year where a Renault-powered car has set the fastest lap of the race. If you've read this far, it won't surprise you to learn that those races were Monaco and Hungary, where Ricciardo did the trick.
Singapore will not be an easy weekend for Red Bull and Toro Rosso, but, with a bit of luck, it could be their best weekend of an otherwise dismal season.
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