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Red Bull’s Max Verstappen has opened up on how competitive Red Bull will be at the Singapore Grand Prix, suggesting that “street circuits are a little tougher” but will continue to work at a “high level” to potentially claim the Constructors Championship.
Verstappen celebrates after winning the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo di Monza (Image Credit: Stefano Guidi – Getty Images)Red Bull are focusing on the now
Verstappen has won 10 races in a row, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record that he held from 2013. However, the Dutchman has explained that he never thought about the next race win but instead was focused on dealing with the pressure of the race in hand.
Speaking at the Singapore Grand Prix press conference, Verstappen said: “I think we just are not as competitive as at other tracks the street circuits are a little bit tougher for our car, I still think that we can do a good job, but it will be very tight.
“I never really looked at number eight, nine, ten I just always want to do the best I can. So naturally, every single weekend, it’s basically the same amount of pressure you put on yourself to try and get the best result out of it. So, nothing really changes from that side.”
Could Red Bull claim the Constructors Championship in Singapore?
Although unlikely, Red Bull could take home the Constructors Championship at the end of the Singapore Grand Prix. They currently hold a 310-point lead over their main rivals Mercedes in second. If the Red Bull duo were to score 43 points, they would also need both Lewis Hamilton and George Russell to finish outside of the top ten to claim their sixth title.
On top of this success, Red Bull has won every race in 2023, which doesn’t leave much reason as to why they couldn’t do it again at the Marina Bay Circuit. When asked how Red Bull continues to operate at such a high level, Verstappen stated that the Milton Keynes-based team has always had a high level of performance.
“I think we always had quite high-level performance as a team, but we just didn’t have that good of a car,” he added.
“I think, up until this year. Of course, you know, last year already the car was very good. But the years before we were close, winning here and there and not fighting for the Constructors’, but yeah, I think everything really came together. We understood this new regulation really well. And yeah, when you have the good people also in every single position and you can achieve something like you’re witnessing right now.”
Can Red Bull maintain their dominance?
Red Bull’s period of dominance has come into play off the back of two consecutive World Drivers Championships with Verstappen behind the wheel. They have seemed unstoppable with the RB19 in 2023, but with a new technical directive being introduced at the Singapore Grand Prix to reduce the flexibility of the bodywork, questions have risen about whether or not they will be able to continue their success through the end of the season. However, Verstappen shut down any idea that their wings would be affected by the change.
“I don’t think it will. We never really had any flexible front wing or whatever. So, I don’t think it will hurt us,” Verstappen explained.
We will soon see if Verstappen and the Red Bull will be behind on pace for the first time in the past few seasons. They will tackle the winding streets of the Marina Bay circuit FP1 on Friday at 17:30 local time (10:30 BST).
Feature Image Credit: Rudy Carezzevoli – Getty Images
