Max Verstappen arrives at Marina Bay for the Singapore Grand Prix aiming to build on his victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix at Sepang, with the demanding street circuit set to provide an important test of Red Bull’s recent progress. The Dutch driver wants another success before the end of the 2026 season, even though Singapore remains one of the circuits where he has never won.
The Sepang victory was the result of Verstappen’s driving, Red Bull’s development work during the season and the latest improvements introduced in Azerbaijan. It was also a significant achievement for the Red Bull Powertrains operation, which played an important role in delivering the result.
This is the first season with a power unit developed internally, and despite the difficulties encountered throughout the year, Red Bull has still managed to reach the top step of the podium. The team’s progress has not been limited to Verstappen either, with Isack Hadjar showing that he can be a strong second driver when compared with several of those who occupied the role during the previous era.
The Frenchman also discussed Red Bull’s latest upgrades during Media Day, explaining how they had helped the team return to the fight at the front. He also highlighted the benefit of having a four-time world champion such as Verstappen as his teammate.
Max Verstappen still has another victory in his sights
Verstappen now heads into Singapore preparing for what will be the 250th race of his Formula 1 career. Marina Bay is a street circuit where he has never won, and after achieving his previous objective of claiming a victory during the 2026 season last weekend, he is now raising the target again.
Attention is inevitably beginning to shift towards 2027, with the current season approaching its final stages and both championships appearing increasingly settled. Verstappen, however, has no intention of easing off and still wants another race victory before the campaign ends.
“We will try, that is for sure. Street circuits are always complicated because so many factors have to come together,” Verstappen said during Formula 1’s Media Day. “Some things happen before others and unfortunately, for a number of different reasons, we have still never managed to win here, not even during the years when we were completely dominant.”
The Dutch driver is well aware that Red Bull’s recent upgrades do not automatically guarantee success at every street circuit, particularly when other teams can also perform strongly in these conditions.
“You always have to assess the strengths of the car, and Singapore is a track where our car has never performed at its best in the past. I hope it goes a little better this year, but there are no guarantees.”
Singapore will be a major test of Red Bull’s latest upgrades
Marina Bay requires high levels of downforce and a stable rear end, which will also play a significant role in tyre degradation. The asphalt provides medium-to-high grip, while Pirelli has selected the C3, C4 and C5 compounds, the three softest tyres in its range.
Looking at some of the most recent street-circuit and high-downforce events offers some encouragement for Red Bull. Verstappen finished less than a second behind George Russell in Baku and took second place in Hungary. Both events also featured the same C3, C4 and C5 tyre allocation.
Singapore will therefore provide another important indication of Red Bull’s true level. If the latest upgrade package allows Verstappen to claim another victory, or at least enables both Red Bull drivers to fight consistently near the front, it would suggest the team has found a productive development direction for the closing stages of the season.
“I just want to try to understand whether we can maintain this form and put ourselves in a position to potentially fight for victory again,” Verstappen added. “I don’t know whether that will happen here or at another race.”
Sepang offered Red Bull two significant straights, including the main straight and the run towards the final corner, while also featuring a more technical section made up of sweeping medium-speed corners. Marina Bay presents a very different challenge.
Why Marina Bay presents a very different challenge
The Singapore circuit is dominated by slower corners and places significant stress on the brakes. Overtaking opportunities are also limited, increasing the importance of delivering a strong qualifying performance before the race.
“We won one, but we have to keep our feet on the ground and continue pushing, because I am sure it will not always be this easy between now and the end of the season. We are trying to improve step by step.”
The contrasting circuit characteristics make Singapore a particularly useful test for Red Bull after Sepang. Straight-line performance is less decisive at Marina Bay than mechanical grip, rear stability and chassis performance through repeated low-speed corners.
The compressed Sprint format adds another complication. With only one free practice session available before the competitive sessions begin, teams have far less time to experiment with setup changes. The full Singapore Grand Prix Sprint weekend schedule leaves very little margin for teams that begin the weekend outside the ideal setup window.
Ferrari and McLaren remain Singapore unknowns
Singapore demands a fundamentally strong chassis rather than placing the greatest emphasis on outright engine performance. That could give Ferrari an opportunity to make the difference, while McLaren may also emerge as a contender despite two more difficult weekends recently.
There are still several unknowns, particularly because of the Sprint format and the limited amount of practice running. Ferrari faces many of the same setup challenges, with Fred Vasseur outlining the demands of the Singapore Sprint weekend ahead of the event.
There is no certainty that Verstappen will struggle simply because Marina Bay has historically been difficult for Red Bull. Given the Dutch driver’s stated objectives and his determination to keep pushing, another competitive showing cannot be ruled out.
The Singapore Grand Prix could therefore provide one of the clearest indications yet of how much Red Bull has really improved with its latest upgrade package and whether the team can remain in the fight at the front through the closing phase of the 2026 season.
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