Max Verstappen achieved his first victory at the Marina Bay circuit during the Sprint of the Singapore Grand Prix, but the Red Bull Racing driver was not satisfied with his performance. After a 30-minute delay due to rain, the drivers had to start on intermediate tires. Verstappen had a poor launch from pole, allowing George Russell from Mercedes to take the lead at the first corner.
Despite inheriting the victory when Russell crashed into the pit wall, Verstappen expresses concern over his faulty starts throughout the 2026 season.
An evident weakness
In a post-race interview with Craig Slater from Sky Sports F1, Verstappen acknowledged that his starts have been insufficient throughout the year. ‘Clearly, we need to do something different and understand what our issues are,’ he noted.
Max also highlighted that the sister team of Red Bull, the Racing Bulls, sometimes have good launches, indicating that his team is making significant errors. ‘We are clearly doing something wrong. We need to improve for tomorrow’s race,’ he added.
Searching for rhythm
Despite having secured pole during the Sprint, Verstappen anticipates tougher competition in the traditional qualifying of the Grand Prix. The sprint format limits tire usage, which can result in an unpredictable grid order, as drivers can only make one push lap with soft tires after the mediums.
‘It’s a goal, but it will be a hard battle. In the sprint qualifying, it’s sometimes uncertain,’ Verstappen explained about his expectations. Standard qualifying allows all drivers to make multiple laps, which, according to him, brings their rivals closer to his final speed.
Finally, Verstappen concluded: ‘Now, everyone in qualifying on soft tires has more targets. Normally, this allows them to adjust and get into a good rhythm, which naturally makes it more difficult.’
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
