Max Verstappen secures 50th pole in Singapore amid retirement admission

Max Verstappen has revealed that he came close to retiring from Formula 1 earlier this year. The 29-year-old Red Bull driver secured his 50th career pole position during qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, marking his 250th F1 race start from the front of the grid. His teammate, Isack Hadjar, finished ninth in the same qualifying session.

Regarding the 2026 championship standings, Verstappen remains mathematically in contention but faces a difficult path to the title. Following the Singapore results, he trails leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes by 119 points.

His ability to secure a fifth title depends heavily on the remaining race calendar and potential cancellations in the Middle East. If the season concludes with the scheduled races in Qatar and Abu Dhabi, Verstappen would likely need multiple wins and a significant drop in Antonelli's performance. However, if those races are cancelled and the season ends in Imola, Verstappen would need to win all remaining Grands Prix to maintain a chance at the championship.