Max Verstappen cautions Red Bull: 'With such a dreadful beginning, Sunday’s race is finished'

Verstappen has consistently expressed that he feels no excitement whatsoever when triumphing in a sprint race, a format he is notably not fond of. However, one could argue that a win in Singapore carries slightly more weight considering Red Bull's past challenges at the street circuit.

Nevertheless, when Motorsport.com posed that question to Verstappen, it became clear that he did not share that sentiment. The sprint highlights that Red Bull is progressing positively with the RB22, but for Verstappen, it signifies nothing beyond that.

“My emotion is the same,” he remarked. “It doesn’t matter to me whether I have won on this track previously or not.”

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

This indicates that Verstappen's focus is entirely on Sunday’s grand prix. Qualifying is undoubtedly crucial, given the difficulty of overtaking in Singapore, but Verstappen also highlights another significant concern for Red Bull: their starts.

In Malaysia, Verstappen witnessed both Mercedes cars leap ahead of him, and a similar situation occurred with George Russell in Singapore on Saturday.

“The start was terrible again, so that's definitely something we need to enhance,” Verstappen acknowledged. “If something like that happens tomorrow, your race could be over, unless something extraordinary occurs.”

When asked what specifically went wrong, Verstappen replied: “As always, it just doesn’t launch properly. The car simply doesn’t move, we don’t accelerate off the line.”

Red Bull has faced this issue for a while, raising questions about whether there are any viable solutions for Sunday or if the team will have to rely on luck.

“We have a few limitations to address, and that’s likely from our side as well,” Verstappen noted. “We need to improve because Racing Bulls sometimes achieve better starts than us, so we just need to perform better.”

Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes

On Saturday, the poor start ultimately did not cost him, as Verstappen witnessed Russell crash in front of him at the end of the opening lap.

“He was already sideways a few times during that first lap, so I think he was just pushing quite hard,” Verstappen remarked. “Then in the last corner, he clipped the white line, and that sent him into the wall. It’s an easy mistake to make, I suppose, and unfortunate at the same time.”

Verstappen himself aimed to avoid such risks, aware that overtaking is nearly impossible unless someone errs. This was even more pronounced on a partially wet track, where drivers discovered there was only one racing line.

“It was calm in a way, but at the same time, you need to stay focused. If you let your guard down, it’s easy to make a mistake or go wide, so it was more about staying alert,” Verstappen described his mindset.

“Remain composed, but be attentive to the road ahead with your tyres wearing out and the road drying in some areas while remaining slippery in others. You just have to be patient.”

Verstappen managed to do just that, although he still has two more hurdles to overcome for the victory that – unlike the sprint race – truly matters to him: nailing the second qualifying session of the weekend and enhancing his start.