‘There are no guarantees’ – Max Verstappen Evaluates Chances of Long-Awaited Singapore Win

Verstappen Eyes Elusive Singapore Victory Amid Realistic Expectations

Max Verstappen has made it clear that he will push for a breakthrough win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, though he remains acutely aware of the formidable challenges presented by the tight competition at the front of the grid. Following a demanding opening phase to the 2026 Formula 1 campaign, Verstappen returned to winning ways at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, taking the top step of the podium ahead of Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli and Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton.

While the triumph reignited optimism that Red Bull could contend for top honours more consistently, Verstappen cautioned that translating that pace to the Singapore Grand Prix is an entirely different task. The Dutch driver has experienced a trio of second-place finishes at Marina Bay in 2018, 2024, and 2025, yet the top step has remained elusive throughout his career.

Reflecting on whether the squad has unlocked the performance needed to challenge for victory in Singapore, Verstappen noted that street venues demand an uncompromising balance. As Verstappen explained: “We’re going to try, that’s for sure. It’s always complicated on a street circuit, a lot of things have to come together.

“Some just happen a bit sooner than others and unfortunately for a lot of different reasons, we have not won here yet, even in our dominant years.

“But you always need to look at the strengths of the car and Singapore was a track where our car didn’t really come alive before. I hope it’s going to be a little bit better this year but there are no guarantees.“There are a lot of other teams that are also very strong on street circuits and also every street circuit is very different. This is not like Baku, for example, and it’s also not like Monaco. We’ll see.”

Maintaining Momentum Ahead of Future Regulatory Shifts

With seven rounds left on the 2026 racing calendar, Verstappen is keen on keeping expectations grounded. Rather than assuming the team has completely turned a corner, his objective is focused on maximizing opportunities to capture another race victory before Red Bull directs its full attention toward the 2027 season.

Addressing the team’s ongoing trajectory, Verstappen stated: “I just want to try and see if we can carry this momentum and try to be in a position again to win potentially,” adding, “I don’t know if that’s here or in another race.

“We have won one race finally and then we also need to stay with two feet on the ground and keep working because I’m sure that it’s not always going to be like this now until the end of the season. Step by step we try to be better and next year is a completely different story.”

Isack Hadjar Evaluates Malaysia Performance and Power Unit Milestone

Red Bull came close to securing a double podium finish in Malaysia, but a late-race battery complication pushed Isack Hadjar down to fifth place. The French driver, who has recently returned from an injury layoff, is determined to understand the issue fully even as focus shifts toward the upcoming weekend.

Detailing the post-race review, Hadjar remarked: “To be honest, it’s still an ongoing analysis, but at the same time, I don’t think whatever happened in Malaysia is going to impact us heading into Singapore.

“But still, I’m not the type of guy who just moves on anyway, ‘ah, the race is finished’. I want everything to be understood and, even if now I’m focused on Singapore, I am happy to then come back into a bit more details.”

The Malaysia result nevertheless marked an important milestone for the organisation, representing the inaugural win for the Red Bull Ford Powertrains project. Hadjar highlighted the progression the team has achieved since the opening round of the championship.

Hadjar shared his assessment of their developmental path: “[When] we started in Melbourne, I was like nine-tenths behind Mercedes in third. And then we kind of went downhill, so at some point we were even further away from the leaders, and from then we kind of managed to reach decent results, had some form, average form.

“I would say it was kind of a plateau for a bit of the European period, and then that final upgrade kind of put us in contention, and also you have Max in the car so it kind of helps. It’s great to have a Red Bull power unit win a race. They’ve been doing that for only four years and they won an F1 race already, so it’s impressive.”

Why This Matters

The victory in Malaysia provided crucial validation for Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its competitive tenure, demonstrating that recent aerodynamic and technical updates have brought the package back into race-winning contention against rivals Mercedes and Ferrari. However, the unique demands of the Marina Bay Street Circuit have historically exposed the car’s weaknesses on slow-speed, high-downforce layouts. Overcoming those limitations in Singapore would confirm that Red Bull’s mid-season developments have resolved fundamental balance issues across varied circuit profiles.

Frequently Asked Questions