Max Verstappen expressed a mix of joy and relief following the qualifying round for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Dutch driver secured a second-place start, trailing behind pole-sitter Lando Norris. “I’m very pleased, especially after the challenging Friday we had,” he said.
It was evident that a weight had been lifted off Verstappen’s shoulders. Starting on the front row feels like a victory in itself. On Friday, there were significant concerns about the grip and handling of the RB20. “However, things improved during the third free practice and continued to get better during the qualifying round. We managed to improve with each run,” he explained.
Verstappen lost his lap time in his first run due to a double yellow flag following a crash by Carlos Sainz right in front of him. Despite this setback, he still managed to clock an excellent time. Beating Norris was simply unattainable. “Considering where we started from,” he pointed out, referring to the ongoing grip issues with the RB20, “P2 is just fine.”
As for what the race might bring? “It’s Singapore, anything can happen. It’s hard to say,” he concluded.
