The Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore remains the only track among the current Formula 1 calendar where Max Verstappen has yet to secure a victory. Despite being a four-time world champion who has triumphed at all the other 23 venues, Verstappen’s quest for a Singapore GP win continues to elude him, highlighting a unique challenge in his dominant career.
Red Bull Racing has also found Singapore to be a difficult venue, winning only once since Sebastian Vettel’s commanding pole-to-win performance in 2013. That solitary victory came in 2022 when Sergio Perez delivered under the city’s floodlights, while Ferrari has often found success there, adding to Red Bull’s struggles. For Verstappen, a combination of his team not always having the fastest car and unfortunate circumstances has prevented him from joining the list of Singapore winners.
Nevertheless, Verstappen is currently the most in-form driver on the grid, having secured consecutive wins in Monza and Baku. With seven races remaining this season, he trails Oscar Piastri by 69 points but remains a strong title contender. Clinching the Singapore GP would reinforce his championship credentials and signal Red Bull’s recovery from mid-season difficulties, proving that their RB21 car can compete effectively on more demanding circuits beyond the high-speed, low-downforce tracks like Monza and Baku.
Max Verstappen’s Performance History at Singapore
While victory has been elusive at the Marina Bay circuit, Verstappen’s record there should not be dismissed as weak. In his rookie season in 2015 with Toro Rosso, he defied team orders to finish eighth—a notable achievement for a newcomer on a challenging street track. Over the years, Verstappen has demonstrated strong qualifying form, including securing second on the grid in 2017 behind Sebastian Vettel. However, his race that year ended abruptly on the opening lap due to a collision involving Kimi Raikkonen and Vettel.
Verstappen’s qualifying performance in 2018 remains one of his standout efforts at Singapore. Despite Renault detuning his engine to improve drivability due to persistent issues in practice and qualifying, Verstappen narrowly missed pole position, setting a lap time only a few tenths behind Lewis Hamilton’s. His lap under those conditions arguably exceeded expectations given his engine’s reduced power.
Reflecting on that qualifying session, Verstappen said:
“It was totally unexpected. After final practice I was shaking from anger but now I’m just shaking from happiness.”
He added,
“In FP3 there were just so many problems – I was going into forced neutral, the car was just stopping on the track and while driving on my fast laps it was bogging down… Qualifying was the same story so we had to detune the engine and lost a bit of time there to try and make the drivability better, but it still didn’t work like it should do. So going into Q3, I felt that the car was working well and I didn’t really have anything to complain about.”
Verstappen recalled the moment he saw his position after qualifying:
“When I saw second place on the board, I was actually quite surprised given the problems I had. On my final run I tried to push a bit more, and I was two tenths up when I arrived at Turns 16 and 17 and then when I tried to short shift, the engine just cut out.”
– Max Verstappen, F1 Driver
One of Verstappen’s biggest setbacks came in the 2022 Singapore GP when he was on track to claim pole position but had to abort his final lap due to a lack of fuel. This opened the door for teammate Sergio Perez to win the race ahead of Charles Leclerc, marking the rare occasion where Verstappen missed a clear chance for success in Singapore.
Singapore GP: A Persistent Challenge for Verstappen and Red Bull
Verstappen’s ongoing Singapore GP difficulty underscores a broader challenge for Red Bull at the circuit. Since Vettel’s 2013 win, the team has found the Marina Bay layout less favorable compared to other tracks where their car excels. Ferrari has often capitalized on this, turning Singapore into a battleground where Red Bull’s pace advantage is less assured. Verstappen’s struggle to win here reflects the complex mix of technical demands, race incidents, and competition strength that define this event.
As the season progresses, a victory at Singapore would be a major statement of Verstappen’s versatility and Red Bull’s progress in refining the RB21’s performance across diverse tracks. Given the tight championship tussle with Oscar Piastri and others, success under the Singapore floodlights would boost Verstappen’s momentum and reshape the outlook heading into the final rounds.
