Red Bull had one tiny ‘disappointment’ about Max Verstappen’s Singapore Grand Prix performance

Follow us on Google Discover

Red Bull should have been delighted to leave one of their weakest tracks on the Formula 1 calendar with a second place to show for their efforts.

Before arriving at the Singapore Grand Prix, the team were under pressure knowing that a bad result could kill any chance of winning the drivers’ championship. McLaren’s lead at the top is so commanding that any slip-up could end their hopes just as they were reignited.

Max Verstappen looked down and out of the title hunt during the summer break, but a change in approach from Red Bull has paid dividends. A new floor upgrade has also helped them to extract more speed from their package, which they have struggled to do for much of 2025.

Verstappen confirmed a Red Bull ‘theory’ that they had simply not found a way to get the most out of the RB21 this year. Red Bull’s Verstappen strategy was ‘especially impressive’ and was a big reason why they managed to finish second in Singapore. Their bold approach worked.

READ MORE: Lando Norris ‘annoyed’ by what people keep saying about Max Verstappen during their F1 title fight

Red Bull had ‘disappointment’ about Max Verstappen not winning in Singapore

Singapore is the only remaining track on the Formula 1 calendar that Verstappen has yet to win at, having experienced some difficulties there in recent seasons. Sunday marked the second consecutive season that he has finished second at the Marina Bay circuit.

Yet Red Bull were ‘disappointed’ with a Verstappen decision upon reflection, and felt as though they could have been even more aggressive with their setup in a bid to claw back some of the deficit to Mercedes’ George Russell.

They have just over a week to reflect on their mistakes before flying halfway across the world to Texas for the United States Grand Prix. They will anticipate that they perform a lot better there, considering its high-speed nature.

But that hasn’t prevented them from leaving Singapore ‘disappointed’, according to Matt Majendie, who suggests that the team thinks there was an opportunity for them to win.

“The team is funny because they’re so competitive,” he said. “There is an element, a tiny bit of disappointment that they didn’t win the race, because Max could have got pole, he could have got past George, whatever, and then maybe it’d be a different thing.”

READ MORE: Max Verstappen now agrees with Helmut Marko about what Laurent Mekies is saying at Red Bull

Why Max Verstappen remains a feared opponent for the 2025 F1 title

Even from 63 points behind, there’s a sense of unease about what Verstappen might be able to do during the final six races of the season.

Verstappen will love McLaren ‘admitting’ they expected more pace from their car last weekend, as it means they aren’t entirely sure why they couldn’t live up to expectations.

But that doesn’t take away from the idea that the Dutchman needs to have a perfect end to the season to have any chance of claiming a record-matching fifth consecutive crown.

Right now, he would take having any sort of chance in Abu Dhabi, knowing how unpredictable motorsport can be, anything could happen.