Max Verstappen delivered a pessimistic outlook for Red Bull ahead of this weekend’s Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, believing the circuit will not suit its car.
The Dutchman arrives in Singapore fresh from back-to-back Grand Prix wins, which places him back into – albeit on the periphery – the World Championship conversation.
Verstappen has never won at the Marina Bay Circuit, a notable blot on his copybook, a significant reason being that the Red Bull package, no matter how dominant previously, has never performed well there.
The RB21 has found some significant improvements since the return of F1 from its summer break, giving the Milton Keynes-based squad renewed confidence for the remainder of the campaign.
And whilst Verstappen has not ruled out being able to take victory this week, he has downplayed the idea of his run of form continuing, owing to the track’s high downforce characteristics.
“Yeah, I mean, the two last races have been low downforce, low deg,” he told media including Motorsport Week.
“I think here it’s a lot harder on the tyres, high downforce, I’m not so sure that our car is the best at the high downforce setting. I think it’s always a bit better when you go to lower downforce. It just seems more efficient.
“So yeah, we have to wait and see. I mean, last year we were second, but quite a mile off, you know, trying to win the race. So hopefully we’ll be just more competitive.
“And I honestly don’t know what that means for us this weekend. We just have to wait.”
Verstappen unsure of ‘how much better’ RB21 will run in Singapore GP
It has been frequently said amid his Monza and Baku victories that Verstappen has recently been given more freedom in terms of setting up the RB21, which has enabled him to find a comfortable package to cruise to the chequered flag in both those races.
But he reiterated that whilst he is confident that the car will run well again, there is caution as to whether it will be well enough to compete with McLaren.
“And Zandvoort was high downforce, high deg. Yeah, I mean, we were not particularly strong there, so I hope it’s not going to be like that, he said.
“But I do think with how we run the car that it will be a bit better. But I don’t know how much better.”
READ MORE – Why McLaren sees Max Verstappen as a ‘disruptor’ to F1 ambitions
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