Max Verstappen delivers Singapore Grand Prix prediction in pursuit of title

Can Max Verstappen mount a late-season challenge for the F1 2025 title? It’s the question powering countless minds in the Formula 1 space as we head into the Singapore Grand Prix — an event at which the reigning champion has failed to take a victory.

After Friday practice, which saw Verstappen finish third on the timing charts in both FP1 and FP2, the Dutch driver has a fresh outlook on what’s possible come Sunday.

Max Verstappen: Friday practice felt “positive”

Max Verstappen’s shot at winning a fifth consecutive world championship looked set to fade into dust as the McLaren Racing duo of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris spent much of the summer dividing wins between themselves.

But things have been much different lately.

Red Bull’s current machine, the RB21, was given a major floor upgrade ahead of the Italian Grand Prix at Monza that transformed it from a tetchy beast to a more predictable, stable machine for the first time all season.

Though the McLaren MCL39 is still quick, the RB21 has become pliable in Verstappen’s hands, and the Dutch driver has taken back-to-back wins at the past two grands prix.

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The move chopped his deficit from leader Oscar Piastri from 104 points to 69 points in the course of two races. That’s still a major deficit to overcome, but few are willing to count Verstappen out of the fight just yet.

Despite the fact that he’s never won in Singapore, Verstappen is sounding fairly confident in his shot at performing well this weekend given the fact that he was quick enough for third on the timing charts in both FP1 and FP2.

“It was not too bad,” Verstappen reflected.

“I think FP1 started quite nicely with just getting up to speed with things. The car was not too bad, a bit like the last two weekends where there were no major problems.

“And then in FP2, yeah, a few things that we tried — some were good. We just need to try and optimize that a bit more.

“Overall, in general, quite satisfied, but definitely need a bit more pace to fight up at the front tomorrow.”

Verstappen’s competitors should be on the lookout. In both Italy and Azerbaijan, the driver took a few sessions to truly find the pace and rhythm in his RB21, which only became truly apparent in qualifying. But already here in Singapore, he’s sniffing around the top of the charts, something he considers “definitely very positive.”

“Still a few things that we want to do better, but it’s not like we need to throw around the setup completely, so that’s a good thing,” Verstappen explained to F1TV after FP2.

“We’ll see tomorrow. Is it gonna be good enough to fight up front? I don’t know.

“I always find FP2 is a bit difficult to say. People are running engine modes, top-speed-wise, I guess we’ll see in qualifying.”

But what are the “few things” Verstappen wants to improve? According to him, they’re all just “tiny details.”

“Front grip, rear grip, keeping the tyres alive throughout a lap. Around here, the tyres overheat a lot,” he told F1TV’s Lawrence Barretto.

“All those things just need to be a little bit better, and then hopefully that will be a bit more in the window, and then you can push also a bit harder.”

For all of the frenzy and speculation surrounding Verstappen’s potential shot at taking a title, the driver himself has remained remarkably calm, telling media on Thursday that he’s not feeling any pressure. Rather than blindly throw himself after another crown, he’s taking things “race by race.” Rack up enough wins, though, and he could soon be challenging Lando Norris for second in the standings, with an eye turned to Piastri up at the top of the charts.

Read next: Singapore GP: Piastri tops crash-strewn FP2 as Norris, Leclerc crash in the pits and Russell at T16