Verstappen Eyes 1st-Gear Wet Starts After 2 Poor Launches in Singapore, Malaysia

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Oct 10

Second gear is "not the right gear" for Red Bull in the wet, Verstappen said after another weak launch in Singapore's sprint race, signaling he could switch to first gear if Sunday's start is wet.
Two recent wet starts — in Malaysia and Singapore — exposed the issue, with Verstappen saying rivals such as George Russell and Lewis Hamilton got away better by using first gear to spool the 2026 power unit more effectively.
Singapore's main race puts extra pressure on the fix because two Ferraris — among the season's strongest starters — line up directly behind pole-sitter Verstappen, who said a bad launch could cost him victory.
Red Bull's problem appears to be in setup and procedure rather than hardware, Verstappen said, noting sister team Racing Bulls has the same software and parts but often executes starts better through clutch, engine and tire-warmup settings.
The start has become the key variable in an otherwise dominant weekend for Verstappen, who took his 50th pole at his 250th Grand Prix and is chasing a first Singapore win.