Max Verstappen hopes for better showing at Singapore GP
“I hope this year we’ll be a bit more competitive,” says Max Verstappen as he looks ahead to the challenging Singapore Grand Prix.
The Marina Bay circuit has proven to be a tough nut to crack for the Red Bull Racing star.
Despite his dominance elsewhere, Singapore remains one of the few tracks where Verstappen hasn’t claimed victory. In eight previous attempts, he’s finished second twice – his best result at the night race.
“It’s a cool track,” Verstappen admits. “Of course, I’ve never won there, but it’s a cool feeling to drive.”
The triple world champion points out that Singapore presents a completely different challenge compared to other venues on the F1 calendar.
“High downforce. A lot of degradation on the tyres, so we’ll see what happens. I really don’t know at the moment.”
When asked what it would take to finally conquer Marina Bay, Verstappen emphasized how much the car’s handling affects a driver’s experience.
“Depends on a lot of things. If the car is shocking to drive, yes, it’s really hard to keep it in a straight line.”
“But if the car is nice to drive, then it’s more about just the physicality of it. At the same time, if everything’s going well, you can relax a bit more, and then naturally it’s less physical as well.”
The Singapore GP is notorious for being one of the most physically demanding races of the year. Drivers face extreme heat and humidity while navigating a bumpy street circuit under artificial lights for nearly two hours.
“Let’s wait and see. I mean, it’s always hot, and you’re sweating a lot, so you have to prepare for that.”
Verstappen isn’t worried about the physical challenge, though.
“I guess we’ve all done that — heat training and stuff — preparing for these kinds of races. Basically, it’s about getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.”
The Dutch driver comes into the Singapore weekend fresh off a victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, potentially giving Red Bull momentum heading into one of their historically weaker circuits.
Can Verstappen finally add Singapore to his growing list of conquered tracks? We’ll find out this weekend.
