Max Verstappen quips about hidden signals as Red Bull prepares for the initial races under Gianpiero Lambiase’s replacement.

Max Verstappen's victory tally in Formula 1 was still lacking two races: the Madring and the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Considering that F1 only made its debut at the Madrid street circuit this year, that makes sense; however, Singapore has historically posed challenges for Red Bull.

Until this season. In 2026, Verstappen showcased his prowess in Singapore, securing two pole positions and triumphing twice during the sprint weekend. On Sunday, the emphasis was on the start – a significant concern for Red Bull this year – yet Verstappen successfully maintained his position this time around.

“The start was crucial, and it was just sufficient. Once again, something felt off at the start, so I need to figure out what went awry,” Verstappen disclosed.

“Before engaging the clutch, it didn’t feel right. Then we encountered a few laps with deployment issues, which almost allowed Charles to overtake me at Turn 7. Once we resolved the deployment concerns, everything was fine.”

Verstappen indicated that these starting issues were distinct from those he had faced in recent weeks. Previously, difficulties arose when he engaged the clutch, but this time, the problem surfaced at an earlier stage.

“I need to comprehend what transpired with the engine before even engaging the clutch because I believe that impacted my start. It was once again not ideal, you could say that.”

Afterward, Verstappen executed a late brake on the outside line and also navigated through the deployment issues. This meant the threat from his competitors had subsided, but the Dutch driver still had to contend with another challenge for the remainder of the race: his radio was malfunctioning.

The four-time world champion could still hear his team, but his replies were inaudible.

“Maybe GP was pleased that it wasn’t functioning!” Verstappen chuckled during the post-race press conference.

“I couldn’t really communicate. He did attempt at one point to ask me a few things in code, and I think he understood what I meant or what I didn’t want! But it’s never pleasant. I’ve been facing radio issues all season, and this weekend was particularly troublesome.”

This necessitated Lambiase to think creatively to gather Verstappen's feedback. In the race's final stages, he instructed the Dutchman to remain silent if he intended to make another pitstop in the event of a safety car, and to press the radio button if he preferred to keep his track position.

Team principal Laurent Mekies clarified that these radio issues were entirely due to Red Bull and not linked to any broader technical problems in Singapore.

“I don’t believe it’s the circumstances, no, I think it’s on our end,” Mekies stated on Sunday evening.

“It wasn’t the same problem as in FP1, but it was a bit challenging. These cars are complex, and there’s a significant amount of communication that needs to happen between drivers and engineers. However, as you saw, GP found ways to communicate with Max and vice versa when it mattered.”

“Of course, it’s something we take seriously like everything else. I’m sure we will return with a robust solution for it, as it could cost you crucial time during key moments.”