Nine Attempts. No Wins. Verstappen’s Unfinished Business in Singapore.
Max Verstappen arrives from victory at Sepang with another gap to close, but his Singapore results reveal more than a simple struggle with one circuit.
Nine starts. Four podiums. Still no victory.
Singapore remains unfinished business for Verstappen, even after his first win of 2026 at Sepang. He has finished second at Marina Bay three times, including both of the last two editions.
But those nine attempts haven’t followed one pattern. They span two teams, a first-lap collision, a qualifying mistake and weekends when another car simply delivered more.
Historical results through the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix. The upcoming 2026 Sprint and Grand Prix are excluded.
Nine starts, eight points finishes
Verstappen first raced here with Toro Rosso in 2015. His remaining eight appearances came with Red Bull.
2015: 8th
2016: 6th
2017: Retired
2018: 2nd
2019: 3rd
2022: 7th
2023: 5th
2024: 2nd
2025: 2nd
Singapore held no Grands Prix in 2020 or 2021.
The lack of a win needs that context. Verstappen scored points in every Singapore race he finished. Four podiums from nine starts show that victory has remained missing despite several strong results.
Different races, different setbacks
In 2017, his chance disappeared before he could complete a lap. Starting second, Verstappen was caught between Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Räikkönen as the three cars collided approaching Turn 1. The stewards ruled it a racing incident, finding no driver wholly or predominantly responsible.
The 2022 weekend unraveled differently. Red Bull called him into the pits before he completed his final qualifying lap because the car risked having insufficient fuel for the required sample. He started eighth.
A poor getaway then cost positions. Later, an attempted pass on Lando Norris ended with a trip down the escape road and another tire stop. Verstappen recovered to seventh while teammate Sergio Pérez won.
That result matters: Singapore was winnable for Red Bull that weekend. Verstappen’s route to victory had been compromised by how his own weekend unfolded.
When the pace wasn’t enough
In 2023, both Red Bulls failed to reach Q3. Verstappen started 11th and recovered to fifth, ending his ten-race winning streak. The team’s struggles had been evident before Sunday, even though its race pace improved.
His next two visits produced second places, but neither delivered the final step.
In 2024, Norris finished 20.945 seconds ahead. In 2025, George Russell won with Verstappen 5.430 seconds behind. The finishing gaps describe those races, not a guaranteed progression toward victory.
Verstappen returns in 2026 with a fresh win behind him and another opportunity ahead. His Singapore history shows several different obstacles. The question is whether this visit finally brings together the pace and execution to clear them.
