Singapore Grand Prix: Verstappen Reflects on Missed Opportunities
Max Verstappen acknowledged that his chances of clinching victory at the Singapore Grand Prix evaporated during the initial start. The two-time world champion, who began the raceon soft tires, failed to make a significant gain off the line, remaining in second place as George Russell claimed the lead.
Throughout the race, Verstappen expressed concerns over the balance and handling of his car, although he maintained that even a better-performing vehicle would not have altered the outcome. “It’s just super hard to pass around here, but I didn’t take the lead at Turn 1,” he stated. He noted that starting on the inside line negatively affected his start, rendering him unable to challenge for the lead.
After his race, Russell suggested that Verstappen might have won had he secured the lead early. Verstappen concurred, remarking, “Yeah, I think so too.” He explained the strategic choice to start on soft tires was a gamble to maintain position and potentially fight for first: “Once I didn’t achieve that, it was a proper management race.”
Verstappen faced challenges throughout, including tire degradation—with his tires six to seven laps older than Russell’s—and shifting difficulties. “Second was just the maximum that we could do today. If we stayed P2 into Turn 1, that’s just how it goes around here,” he reflected.
Despite the handling issues, Verstappen expressed confidence in Red Bull’s recent developments and does not view the performance deficits as alarming. “We’ve definitely improved a lot over the last few races… some stuff that we need to analyze, and hopefully next weekend we can do a little bit better,” he concluded.
