Max Verstappen has criticised Formula One for holding sprint races at circuits where overtaking is difficult, despite winning Saturday's sprint at Marina Bay and qualifying on pole for the second consecutive weekend. The four-time world champion now sits within 40 points of George Russell in the drivers' championship after taking victory in the season's final sprint race.
Verstappen's Sprint Race Discontent
Speaking after his sprint win, Verstappen said: "We shouldn't host a sprint where you cannot pass. You have tracks where you can race and can overtake, but of course, in some places you cannot pass, and we are going to have sprints there also next year. I'm fine, I just do my thing, but it's not what I like."
He also pointed to the ineffectiveness of the Overtake Mode at the circuit: "Also, the problem we have at the moment is with the Overtake Mode; it barely does anything here, you don't really gain a lot on the straights. So also that, with how all the rules are at the moment with our lovely batteries, it just doesn't do much, you can't even get super close or have a massive overspeed at the moment."
Verstappen has never won in Singapore, having finished second in each of the last two seasons and in 2018. He had not previously started from pole at the track, which has a 69% conversion rate due to the difficulty of overtaking.
FIA Decision on McLaren Collision
The FIA has decided to take no further action against either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri after the two McLaren cars collided on the final lap of Saturday's sprint race. Both drivers are starting on the third row.
The stewards explained: "The driver of Car 81 [Piastri] explained that he had not expected Car 1 [Norris] to attempt an overtake and, after turning in, noticed Car 1 on the inside and attempted to leave space.
"The driver of Car 1 said that he saw an opportunity to overtake. He said that the front axle of his car was ahead of the mirror of Car 81 prior to the apex and therefore expected to be left space. As he approached the apex, the space was less than he had anticipated so he had to use the inside kerb and braked and a collision occurred.
"The stewards considered that both drivers had contributed to the incident and that neither driver was wholly or predominantly to blame for the collision. Therefore, the stewards determined to take no further action."
Grid and Championship Context
Charles Leclerc joins Verstappen on the front row after qualifying just ahead of Ferrari team-mate Lewis Hamilton. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts in fourth, with George Russell in 21st because of a grid penalty for needing new engine parts beyond his annual allocation.
Verstappen is aiming for two consecutive Grand Prix wins after taking his first victory of the season in Malaysia. The race is underway at Marina Bay, with the Dutchman looking to convert his pole position into a first Singapore win.
