Max Verstappen suggests a shift following Red Bull's disappointing F1 performances in Malaysia and Singapore.

This weekend in Singapore marks a significant milestone for Verstappen. The Dutch driver is participating in his 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix and has also achieved his 50th pole position.

Verstappen has now entered an elite club of just five drivers – including Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, and Sebastian Vettel – who have attained 50 or more pole positions. However, the Dutchman claims he doesn't focus much on such milestones.

"That’s not my motivation. I take each weekend as it comes and always aim to extract the maximum from it. Whether it’s number 50, 55, or 45... The more, the better, of course, but it’s not something I’m going to obsess over or congratulate myself for, thinking, 'This is impressive.' Not at all."

Still, the opening days in Singapore have been noteworthy. Verstappen has led every important session so far – sprint qualifying, the sprint race, and the regular qualifying – even though the street circuit has often been a weak point for Red Bull in recent years.

You might assume this would lead to some contentment, yet Verstappen still seemed less than fully satisfied when addressing the Dutch media in the paddock.

"No, because it’s not perfect," Verstappen responded when asked by Motorsport.com why he didn't appear completely content. "There’s always more to uncover, and I always want to improve. That’s what we’ll keep working on."

Increased emphasis on the start in Singapore

Two areas were not ideal for Verstappen on Saturday in Singapore: the downshifts and – more critically – his start in the sprint race.

Immediately following the shortest race of the weekend, Verstappen labeled his start as “horrendous” and cautioned that a repeat performance on Sunday could cost Red Bull the race.

A closer examination of the starting issues uncovers two distinct problems. Yes, Verstappen has faced challenges with poor and inconsistent starts multiple times this year, but in the wet conditions at Sepang and Singapore, the issue was also partly tied to the team's advice on gear selection.

Verstappen got beaten off the line by George Russell during Saturday's sprint

Verstappen utilized second gear at the start on both occasions – a common practice in F1 during wet conditions – but several competitors, including Russell, chose first gear, which enabled them to rev the turbo and launch more effectively with the 2026 power units.

"In Malaysia, it was a different issue. That problem compounded everything else, causing the second gear start to fail there.

"Then the team thought: if that issue doesn’t arise here again, starting in second gear should work well this time. But it still wasn't sufficient. My start was actually quite decent compared to most others, just not against George and Lewis."

The start will therefore draw particular attention again on Sunday, especially with two Ferraris positioned immediately behind Verstappen – typically the best starting cars this season.

"Yes, you know they will have strong starts. They've been impressive in that area all season. It’s always a crucial factor in Singapore, and if you've had a few poor starts, naturally, it’s under even more scrutiny."

When Motorsport.com inquired if Verstappen would approach a potentially wet start differently tomorrow, he clarified that he wasn’t necessarily wishing for such conditions.

"Hopefully it’ll be dry tomorrow, first and foremost. Otherwise, we’ll just have to see if it's good enough."

Should it rain, though, Verstappen hinted he would adjust his gear selection this time. "I think it’s pretty obvious that second gear isn’t the right choice for us at the moment!" the four-time world champion chuckled.

Verstappen knows a good start will be crucial to potentially winning the Singapore GP for the first time