Max Verstappen arrives at Marina Bay with serious momentum after finally breaking Red Bull's winless streak at the rain-soaked Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. The four-time champion converted pole position in chaotic conditions to claim his and the team's first victory of 2026, and now the experts are weighing in on whether he can keep that winning form rolling into Singapore's first F1 Sprint weekend of the season.

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Here's where things get spicy though. F1 Oversteer's prediction panel is genuinely split on Verstappen's chances. Two of their writers back Max for pole in the Sprint, with Sean Fisher and Tyler Rowlinson both believing the rejuvenated Red Bull RB22 will be perfectly suited to the tight Marina Bay street circuit. But other experts are tipping different horses. Kyle Archer fancies Andrea Kimi Antonelli, pointing to his dominant Monaco performance earlier in the season as proof he thrives on technical street circuits. David Comerford meanwhile is backing Charles Leclerc and Ferrari, reasoning they should have the pace for this track layout and the Italian driver's street circuit credentials speak for themselves.

George Russell's situation adds another wrinkle to the narrative. The Mercedes driver suffered an engine failure on lap 50 at Sepang, and the team isn't confident the power unit can be salvaged. That means he's facing a grid penalty for a fresh engine at Singapore, which is brutal on a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Making matters worse, there's only one practice session before the Sprint format kicks in, leaving Russell and Mercedes minimal time to dial in a setup that gives him any chance to recover positions.

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On the Sprint itself, Archer thinks Russell could still salvage something. He reckons the Brit might beat teammate Antonelli in the Sprint thanks to his new engine, potentially claiming Mercedes' fifth Sprint victory of the season. But come Sunday's main event, that grid penalty is going to make things properly difficult. Fisher sees Verstappen taking the Sprint win with Lewis Hamilton and Antonelli rounding out the podium, fresh off Hamilton's impressive Malaysia comeback drive.

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With the championship fight heating up and Antonelli still leading the standings, Singapore's first Sprint of 2026 could prove pivotal. Whether Verstappen can maintain his red-hot form, or if the other frontrunners seize their chance, remains wide open as the grid heads to Singapore.

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