Max Verstappen conquered a wild, rain-delayed Sprint at the Singapore Grand Prix to take his first-ever victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, yet the four-time World Champion was left far from satisfied. Starting from pole position, the Red Bull machine suffered what the Dutchman bluntly diagnosed as a "horrendous" getaway. That sluggish initial launch immediately handed the lead of the race over to Mercedes’ George Russell before the field had even settled.
That gift to the Silver Arrows did not last long, however. Russell spun out off the final corner at the end of the first tour and crashed out of the Sprint entirely, handing the position straight back to Verstappen in P1. From that moment on, the Red Bull driver managed the treacherous, intermediate-tire conditions and fended off a chasing Lewis Hamilton to secure the win.
Still, the 29-year-old made it clear that his team has urgent homework to do before Sunday. A poor launch on race day could easily spell disaster on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Verstappen explained that if they repeat such a start, their race will be over instantly barring anything crazy happening.
While happy to finally check off the one circuit remaining on the current calendar where he had never triumphed, Verstappen refused to count the Sprint as a true Grand Prix victory. His eyes are locked entirely on the main event, where he expects a fierce battle against a closely matched field that will demand a strong Qualifying session.
Down in the other side of the Red Bull garage, it was a completely different story of frustration for Isack Hadjar. The Frenchman's race was cut short in the opening laps when a mechanical failure struck his machine. Hadjar explained that he lacked power right from the start before strange noises forced him to pull over and retire the car immediately.
