Max Verstappen absolutely lit up Saturday in Singapore, snagging pole position for the Grand Prix and adding it to the sprint-race victory he’d already snatched in some super tricky wet conditions earlier in the day. This dude is building some serious momentum as the Formula 1 season barrels toward its end, and if he converts on Sunday, it’ll be his second grand prix win in a week. Talk about being on a roll!
Red Bull’s Comeback Kid Is Rolling
Let’s be real, Red Bull’s been putting in the work. Verstappen’s upturn in form is all thanks to their steady grind, getting the car into a window where he can truly predict its behavior and push it to the limit. And when that Red Bull is dialed in? Verstappen is close to unbeatable. We saw it last year when he gave McLaren and Lando Norris nightmares with that insane second half of the season, eating into a 100-point deficit. He missed a fifth title by just two points, it was wild! This year, his maiden win popped off at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia last weekend, coming after three straight podium finishes in Italy, Spain, and Azerbaijan. He probably should’ve had a win in Azerbaijan, too, but qualifying problems stuck him in eighth when he definitely belonged on the front row.
Now, he’s got two hungry Ferrari drivers, Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, breathing down his neck, both feeling like they just missed out on pole. And yeah, there are some concerns about Red Bull’s inconsistent starts. He lost the lead off the line in Malaysia last weekend AND in the sprint. Singapore isn’t a track where you can just cruise back to the front either; overtaking is at a premium. But Verstappen’s keeping his head straight. He said it himself: “It was a good qualifying. It was always very close and we got ahead when it mattered and we are very happy with that. All weekend the car has been in a good window and that makes it a lot easier to find your rhythm. Incredibly happy to start first. Still a long race ahead, a lot of things can go wrong but we have done everything up until now well so hopefully we can continue that tomorrow. It’s been a really positive last few races and we want to keep that momentum going.” He knows what’s up, even as he’s celebrating his 250th F1 race on Sunday.
McLaren’s Woes and The Unlikely Title Dream
While Verstappen is crushing it, things are looking pretty grim over at McLaren. “No-one very happy” is the understatement of the year after their “bad day at the office.” Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris even came together during the Singapore sprint race, which pretty much sums up their current vibe. Remember McLaren’s “purple patch” in the summer, when Norris snagged back-to-back wins in Hungary and the Netherlands? Yeah, that feels like a lifetime ago. He almost won in Madrid too, but things went sideways. Now, last year’s nightmares with Verstappen’s comeback are looking like a fresh hell for them.
As for the championship picture? Let’s just say it’s not looking likely for Verstappen to snatch the title. He’s a whopping 129 points behind Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli, with only 175 points left on the table (assuming those final races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi even happen with everything going on). It would take an absolute miracle, a non-stop stream of wins for Verstappen and Antonelli suddenly having the worst luck ever, to turn that around. So yeah, we can probably dismiss that prospect. But what we absolutely cannot dismiss is Verstappen being a contender right at the front for the rest of the season.
So, all eyes on Sunday. Can Verstappen convert that pole position into a second victory within a week? Can he finally nail that start? He’s looking to keep that positive momentum going, and we’re here for every single second of it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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