Max Verstappen feels like there’s “no rush” to claim second crown

Max Verstappen has admitted to feeling like there is “no rush” to claim his second Drivers’ Championship, despite the Dutchman having his first chance to do so this weekend at the returning Singapore Grand Prix.

The incredibly popular race at the Marina Bay Circuit returns this weekend for the first time since 2019 following the Coronavirus pandemic, with more on the line for the championship leader than usual.

Despite having already won a vast number of Grand Prix’s in his Formula 1 career, Verstappen has never won at the Asian venue, something he will probably need to do to claim the title.

If Verstappen wins the race and claims the fastest lap then he will become a double World Champion, if Charles Leclerc fails to finish in the top eight and Sergio Pérez fails to finish in the top four.

It’s more likely that he’ll retain his 2021 title at the following Japanese Grand Prix; however, with this weekend being at a street circuit anything is possible.

Verstappen is aware that he needs to be “ready for anything”, with the Oracle Red Bull Racing driver preparing to take it “race by race”.

“We haven’t been to Singapore for a while so it will be interesting to see how the track has evolved. It’s definitely one of the best races of the year and it’s a beautiful place to be. It’s important to have a good qualifying lap here so we’ll be focussing on that. During the race we just have to be ready for anything as there’s usually a lot of safety cars.

“In general, it’s a challenging circuit, the humidity is tough on the body and it’s very difficult to do a perfect lap because of tight turns and how close the walls are. I don’t really think about the Championship, I just want to have a positive weekend on track and take it race by race, there’s no rush.”

“The track is very demanding both mentally and physically” – Sergio Pérez

Pérez heads into this weekend’s returning race at Singapore on the back of a sixth place finish at the Italian Grand Prix, which was somewhat of an underwhelming race for the Mexican following a grid penalty.

With Pérez playing a role in determining whether Verstappen wins the title this weekend or not, it’ll be fascinating to see the team’s approach to the weekend and whether they’ll allow him to challenge for victory.

In a random fact, should Pérez win this weekend then he’ll become just the second driver to have ever won the Monaco Grand Prix and the Singapore Grand Prix in the same season, a feat previously achieved only by former Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel in 2011

This weekend is always one of the most demanding of the season, with the venue challenging drivers both “mentally and physically”.

Despite the immense challenge Singapore presents, the Mexican can’t wait to be back in Singapore.

“It is great to be back in Singapore, the track is very demanding both mentally and physically. We have had a little bit of a break which was good after the triple header and now we are massively looking forward to the rest of the season.

“It is going to be very important to make sure we put everything together for the final six races of the season and get as many points as possible. It has been a good time to analyse what has been going on in the last few races and we have a pretty good idea where to go to get back on track.”

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