With six races to go in the championship, no one doubts Verstappen’s success and there only seems to be doubts about the stage in which he uncorks the bottle of champagne.
Verstappen has won eleven races out of sixteen and arrives in Singapore with a 116-point advantage over Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) and with 125 points more than Sergio Pérez, his Red Bull teammate.
Singapore offers the young driver a first opportunity, with its night race, its urban circuit and its illuminated skyscrapers, although it is true that it would take a carom to succeed in this first ‘match ball’: if Verstappen wins in Marina Bay, something that never before achieved, he needs in principle that Leclerc finish at most ninth and Pérez at most fourth (or fifth if the Mexican achieves the point of the fastest lap).
Verstappen, who is about to turn 25, insists he is in no hurry and is going race by race. If they don’t make it in Singapore, the chances could be greater at the next race in Japan.
long-awaited return
Beyond Verstappen’s eventual title, Singapore is preparing for the party that marks the return to its territory of the premier category of motorsports, after two years of absence due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
For the drivers, returning to Singapore means rediscovering a demanding Grand Prixfirst of all because of the tropical climate.
The layout of 23 curves and short straights makes it difficult for the drivers, whose visibility is also reduced by the start at local night time.
“The humidity is exhausting for the body and it is very difficult to give a perfect lap due to the tight curves and the proximity of the walls,” said Verstappen, who does not forget “the numerous safety cars” that have marked each of the twelve races in Singapore since 2008.