Max Verstappen has added a sprint victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, a day after topping qualifying there for the first time. The result underlines that Red Bull has a highly competitive car this year, with the RB22 heading in the right direction at a venue where the team has struggled in recent years.
Verstappen, however, plays down the achievement. The four-time world champion has previously said he feels no emotion when winning a sprint, a format he is not a fan of, and he insisted the Singapore result meant no more to him than any other win. His focus is entirely on Sunday's grand prix, where qualifying is crucial given how difficult overtaking is on the street circuit.
The bigger concern for Red Bull is its starts. Verstappen was passed by both Mercedes cars in Malaysia, and George Russell did the same in Singapore. "The start was horrendous again, so that's definitely something that we need to improve on," he admitted. Asked what went wrong, he said the car simply does not accelerate off the line, adding that Racing Bulls sometimes makes better starts than his team.
On Saturday the poor start did not prove costly, as Russell crashed out in front of Verstappen at the end of the opening lap. Verstappen said he chose caution on the partially wet track, where only one racing line existed, and that patience was the key. Still, he knows that fixing his starts and getting qualifying right are the two steps he needs before the victory that truly matters to him.
Source: Autosport F1 News · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing