Verstappen took his first-ever Singapore sprint win Saturday, but only after George Russell gift-wrapped it by spinning into the pitwall on lap one. The four-time champion started from pole but suffered what he called a "horrendous" launch, losing the lead immediately to Russell into Turn 1. The inherited victory can't mask a glaring Red Bull weakness: Verstappen admits his starts have been "terrible" all season, and he's pointing fingers at his own garage. Racing Bulls—the sister team—consistently executes cleaner launches, proof that the Milton Keynes factory is missing something fundamental. With Sunday's Grand Prix looming on the same tight street circuit, another flawed getaway will kill any chance of a genuine win. Verstappen expects qualifying to be far more competitive than Friday's sprint shootout, where limited tire runs create chaos. The full qualifying format gives rivals multiple soft-tire attempts to find their rhythm, and Max knows Ferrari and Mercedes will be right there. If he can't fix the launch, pole position won't matter.
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