The Singapore Grand Prix has yet again lived up to its expectations! Only this time, the surprise factor arrived from the defending world champions, Red Bull, and its superstar Max Verstappen. The Dutch Lion was unsurprisingly the favorite heading into the weekend at Marina Bay, but, the script has gone wayward ever since.
Friday’s practice session portrayed a rather contrasting story, as neither Verstappen nor his teammate Sergio Perez seemed threatening. But, of course, Red Bull hardly ever reveals its real pace on the first day of the race weekend, and hence, many anticipated Verstappen to ease his way past the grid to claim pole position on Saturday.
However, shockingly enough, not only did Verstappen lose the pole position, but the Dutchman also missed out on Q1 for the first time this season, thanks to the one-off rookie, Liam Lawson. Verstappen was hanging right on the edge in P10, only for the Kiwi to pip the Red Bull star to claim the last spot for Q3. Subsequently, Verstappen found himself dropping down to P11.
MAX VERSTAPPEN AND SERGIO PEREZ ARE OUT OF Q2 😲 pic.twitter.com/JuUwdq4z54
— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) September 16, 2023
But, the question is, will he start from P11 on Sunday? The answer is not clear yet! Verstappen was involved in not one or two, but nearly three incidents on the track which were noted by the stewards as well. Hence, a verdict could well be in the making and is very likely to affect his starting position for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen reacts to the shocking Q2 exit from qualifying
A defending champion on a massive 10-race-win streak finds himself out of contention for the top 10 in a shocking turn of events. Any driver in Verstappen’s position is bound to have an explosive reaction. So, here’s how the Dutchman reacted on the radio after missing out on Q3.
“I don’t know if you saw that, but that was f**king shocking. Absolutely shocking experience,” he yelled on the radio. On the other side of the garage, Perez’s reaction was no less calm either, as the Mexican swore on the radio before getting out of the car and storming off to the garage.
📻 Verstappen: “I don’t know if you saw that, but that was fucking shocking. Absolutely shocking experience.”#F1 #SingaporeGP
— Luke Smith (@LukeSmithF1) September 16, 2023
Overall, Verstappen might be prone to more penalties, as a start from the last row of the grid can’t be ruled out. Therefore, having endured such a horrendous outing with the undefeated team of the year, can Verstappen bounce back on Sunday and miraculously keep his race win streak alive? Or will his Singapore curse extend itself into this season as well?
Discussion about this post