Max Verstappen finished the Singapore Grand Prix in second place with his Red Bull, but behind the result lay a weekend full of challenges. The Dutch driver described his race as a “battle to survive” rather than a proper fight for victory.
The difficulties began right at the start. Red Bull opted for soft tires in an attempt to overtake George Russell in turn 1, but also to defend against possible attacks from the McLaren drivers. However, the asphalt on the left side of the track, known as the “dirty side,” offered very little grip. As a result, Verstappen had a poor start: he maintained second position but immediately began to suffer tire degradation.
Lando Norris quickly closed the gap, forcing Max to make an early pit stop. Yet, the real issues were not limited to tires. “We had so many problems with the gearbox,” Max Verstappen explained to Viaplay. “On downshifts, on acceleration. Plus, the car was nervous and difficult to control.”
Over 5,000 gear changes in Singapore. And Max felt every single one. “On downshifts, the car would lunge forward. Then I had oversteer. Locking the tires was incredibly easy,” he added. “I had to constantly adjust the balance. It was a defensive race.”
Red Bull had made some changes to the front wing for the Asian weekend, but according to the Dutch driver, the improvements did not materialize—in fact, they made things worse. “We didn’t have good long runs in practice. And the changes we made actually hurt us,” Verstappen said, visibly disappointed.
Despite all the difficulties, Verstappen secured valuable points in the Drivers’ Championship fight. However, the message is clear: if Red Bull does not resolve these issues quickly, Max’s pursuit of a fifth world title might face unexpected delays.
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