When the Formula 1 lights go out at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Max Verstappen's conversion of pole position into race victory heavily relies on Red Bull's ability to fix their persistent start problems. The four-time world champion overcame a fierce challenge from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton to secure his second pole in as many days.
Despite conquering the demanding street circuit, worries over getaway performance continue to linger within the camp. Verstappen admitted his concerns after losing a position to Mercedes driver George Russell due to a sluggish start during Saturday's sprint race.
Although he regained the lead when Russell crashed out on the opening lap, the Dutchman knows he cannot afford a repeat performance given how difficult overtaking is around the tight Singapore layout. With no meaningful long-run data gathered, getting off the line cleanly remains the absolute priority.
"I think no one really knows about the long runs, because we didn't really get to do any," Verstappen said after qualifying. "लेकिन for me, the most important part tomorrow is the start. We know that's not really been our strong area, so we need to work on that for tomorrow."
Asked about overnight fixes, he explained the need for a thorough investigation. "Just try to understand why it keeps going wrong, first of all, and then try to just do a better job tomorrow."
This is not an isolated incident for the Milton Keynes squad this season. Speaking after the earlier sprint race, Verstappen did not hold back his frustration regarding the machinery.
"The start was horrendous again, so that's definitely something that we need to improve on. If you have something like that tomorrow, that's your race over, if nothing crazy happens," he warned.
Adding intrigue to the issue is the fact that sister team Racing Bulls does not suffer from the same handicap despite utilizing identical power units. This discrepancy leaves no room for excuses within the main garage.
"We have a few limitations that we have to work on, and that is probably from our side as well. We have to do a better job because Racing Bulls sometimes does better starts than us, so yeah, we just need to be better," he added.
Pressed further on the sister team's advantage, Verstappen concluded firmly: "The engines are exactly the same. Everything is the same, so there is no excuse."
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