Max Verstappen finally has a Singapore victory to his name, but the Red Bull driver knows Saturday’s Sprint triumph will count for little if he repeats his disastrous getaway when the points really matter on Sunday.
The four-time world champion conquered Marina Bay for the first time by winning Saturday’s rain-affected Sprint, keeping Lewis Hamilton at bay after an opening lap that initially threatened to derail his afternoon.
Yet Verstappen emerged from the race with a familiar weakness still troubling him: Red Bull’s starts.
Launching from pole after a 30-minute delay caused by heavy rain, Verstappen was beaten off the line by George Russell, who swept into the lead before Turn 1.
The Mercedes driver’s advantage proved fleeting, however, as he lost control at the final corner at the end of the opening lap and crashed out, handing Verstappen a reprieve.
From there, the Dutchman kept his composure on a drying track, managing his intermediate tyres and resisting Hamilton’s early pressure before pulling clear to secure victory.
A win at last, but no room for complacency
Verstappen was understandably pleased to break his Singapore duck, but he was in no mood to overlook the weakness that could prove far more costly in Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“The start was horrendous again, so that's definitely something that we need to improve on, because if you have something like that tomorrow, that's your race over if nothing crazy happens,” the 29-year-old explained.
Verstappen acknowledged that circumstances had helped him recover from the poor launch, with Russell’s crash removing the man who had initially stolen his lead.
Once back in front, however, the priority was simply to avoid trouble on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.
“So, yeah, not ideal, but then we got a bit lucky with what happened with George out of the last corner,” he added.
“And after that, we just wanted to keep it calm and under control, because you know that you can't pass around here, and especially in a condition like this with the intermediates.
“We just tried to bring it home, and of course, happy to win here in the Sprint, but I also know that I want to win tomorrow.”
The distinction matters. Singapore had remained the conspicuous omission from Verstappen’s list of Grand Prix victories at circuits on the current calendar, making Saturday’s result a welcome milestone. But the Dutchman was keen to avoid confusing a Sprint success with the bigger prize.
“I want to win tomorrow,” he responded. “I don't see this as a win in terms of actually winning a Grand Prix. We need to have a good Qualifying.
“It will be very close with a lot of cars I think, and we just need to try to make sure that we are the best one out of them, but it will be hopefully a good battle.”
Hadjar suffers early Red Bull setback
While Verstappen celebrated, the other side of the Red Bull garage endured a miserable afternoon. Isack Hadjar’s Sprint was cut short in the opening laps after a mechanical problem left him without the power needed to continue.
The French rookie described a straightforward but frustrating retirement, with the issue apparent almost immediately.
“I didn’t really have power at the start,” Hadjar summarised afterwards. “Then it sounded very bad and I had to retire the car, so very straightforward.”
Hadjar’s early exit added another complication to Red Bull’s Saturday, even as Verstappen delivered a welcome result.
The Dutchman now has the Singapore breakthrough he had been waiting for, but his warning about the start leaves little doubt about what must be fixed before Sunday.
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