Singapore Grand Prix is 'unfinished business' for Max Verstappen amid Red Bull revival
Red Bull head to the Singapore Grand Prix hoping to overcome the historical trends at the Marina Bay Circuit with Red Bull resurgent but heading to their bogey track
Max Verstappen has admitted he has "unfinished business" at the Singapore Grand Prix. The Dutchman has put himself back into outside Formula 1 drivers' title contention with back-to-back victories for resurgent Red Bull. But the Marina Bay Circuit is a rarity in that Verstappen, who turned 28 on Tuesday, has never won there.
That is a record the 67-time Grand Prix winner wants to set straight on Sunday. He said: "It is quite a physically demanding track for all drivers and in this race it is about really getting comfortable with the uncomfortable.
"It is a cool street circuit to drive but, of course, I have never won there so you could say there is unfinished business. We need a strong team performance so I am looking forward to what the week brings."
Verstappen secured his third and fourth Grand Prix victories of the year in Monza and Baku after Red Bull finally made a breakthrough in taming their temperamental car. The delighted Dutchman declared after last month's Azerbaijan win that his team has figured out how to make their car more compliant without compromising too much on pace.
But their performances of late have been flattered somewhat by the fact the high-speed Monza and Baku circuits suited their cars far more than the championship-leading McLarens. And Verstappen knows it will be much tougher to get the better of title favourites Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris this weekend.
He said: "The last two races have been great for the team. We have made really strong progress, found a positive set up with the car and are heading in the right direction. Both were low downforce tracks that we performed well at and the Singapore circuit is quite different, so will be more of a test."
READ MORE: 'I worked with Christian Horner – these are the F1 teams he'll look at joining in 2026'READ MORE: British racer, 18, reveals Max Verstappen gesture and F1 messages after cancer diagnosisNorris produced one of his most dominant wins at Marina Bay last year and is keen to narrow the championship gap to team-mate Piastri for the third race weekend in a row. The Brit said: "I've got good memories here with a podium and winning it last year, so I'm ready to go for it again."
Piastri is still 25 points clear despite crashing out on the first lap in Baku last time out. The championship leader admitted he is "very keen" to get back in the car and hopes extra backing from his fellow Aussies can help him put that first DNF since 2023 behind him as quickly as possible.
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He said: "On paper and with the temperatures involved in Singapore, our car has been proven to be comfortable in the past and with that in mind, I'm looking forward to a really positive weekend.
"Singapore is the closest race to Australia in terms of distance, so we've always seen a great Australian contingent there cheering on their drivers at one of the best night races of the season. It's great having that additional support."