Max Verstappen detailed how Red Bull is motivated to extract more from its car to finish the 2026 Formula 1 season on a high.
The Dutchman secured victory in the Singapore Grand Prix to make it two in two for him and the Milton Keynes-based squad.
Verstappen finally plugged the lingering hole in his record by securing a maiden victory in Singapore, completing a clean sweet of pole position and victory in both the Sprint and full race.
Friday’s solitary practice session saw Verstappen look competitive on the Medium tyre, indicating a semblance of performance on a longer run, which came to fruition come race day.
But speaking in parc ferme after the race, Verstappen acknowledged the pace in the RB22 package to bring him a win which has “taken a while”.
“I mean, we had pace when we needed to have it, on the Soft tyre and on the Medium, even though I think the Medium tyre for everyone was a bit more of a struggle,” he said.
“But it worked out, so of course I’m very happy to win here.”
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Max Verstappen slings to Singapore victory – his first at the Marina Bay Circuit! #F1 #SingaporeGP #MaxVerstappen #RedBull https://t.co/XU1D9DNGzC
— Motorsport Week (@MotorsportWeek) October 11, 2026
Ahead of the race, Verstappen was acutely aware that the slowness of the RB22 off the start line was a major concern, and it looked as if he would lose the lead to Charles Leclerc.
But despite the #16 Ferrari’s lightning start, Verstappen covered him off into Turn 1, and duly held the lead from there on.
“Yeah, well, you always try to do your best and luckily it was just good enough,” he said of managing his getaway.
The second consecutive win signals further progress for Red Bull, similar to last year, when Verstappen went on a seismic run to overturn a three-digit points deficit to challenge for the title at the final race.
Verstappen appears to be vindicated in his decision to remain with the team and praised the “really good group of people” helping him find his second wind in F1 ’26.
“I think the last few races have been really positive for us and it’s just great to see,” he said. “And we have a lot of motivation in the team to try and deliver even more results.
“So yeah, it’s a really good group of people. I really enjoy working with them and hopefully we can have a bit more fun until the end of the year.”
READ MORE – Max Verstappen dashes Singapore curse with a dominant win at the Marina Bay Street Circuit
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