Max Verstappen says the Singapore Grand Prix is one of his favourite events on the Formula 1 calendar despite being one of the most demanding, hot and physical races on the schedule.
The Red Bull Racing driver finished second at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in 2018 behind Lewis Hamilton and says he enjoys driving under the tracks floodlights as it gives it a lot of character and makes for a different experience to the rest of the races on the calendar.
“Singapore is a great track and the city looks amazing at night,” said Verstappen. “I enjoy driving under the floodlights as it gives more character to the track and I really like this kind of weekend as it’s so different to a normal race.
“The track is very demanding – it’s hot, it’s physical and you sweat a lot, but it’s one of my favourites. You have a lot of corners that are a mix of high and low speed, plus some medium speed corners that have little run-off, so it’s a very diverse circuit.”
After starting at the rear of the field at the Autodromo Nazionale Monza last time out following an engine change and grid penalty, Verstappen is hopeful to not be out of position on the grid this weekend in Singapore, particularly with how much more difficult it is to pass around the Marina Bay Street Circuit than it was in Italy.
“It’s also a race where we tend to do better than say, Monza and Spa,” said the Dutchman. “I finished second there last year so hopefully we can have another good weekend.
“Overtaking is very tricky so qualifying is the key, you have to nail it! I’m looking forward to having a more normal race weekend and hopefully not starting out of position again which always makes things more difficult.
“We’re aiming for maximum points and I’m really looking forward to it.”
