“Speaks very highly of Max's intelligence”: Bernie Collins praises Verstappen after Singapore win

Former Formula 1 strategist Bernie Collins has praised Max Verstappen for his intelligence and racing skills after the Red Bull driver won the Singapore Grand Prix despite a radio problem. Verstappen had to make key decisions without the usual guidance from his team. Collins said the performance showed his ability to manage a race independently. Verstappen started the weekend strongly by winning the sprint race from pole position at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. He then secured pole position for the main race.Bernie Collins explains what Max Verstappen's radio failure revealed at Singapore GPAfter defending his position against Charles Leclerc at the start during the Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen faced another challenge. A communication problem meant he could hear his race engineer, Gianpiero Lambiase, but could not speak to him through the radio.Lambiase had to change the way he communicated with the four-time world champion. He started asking simple yes-or-no questions, with Verstappen responding by pressing the radio button or remaining silent.ID@undefined Caption not available.Bernie Collins praises Max Verstappen's intelligenceBernie Collins explained that radio failures can make it difficult for teams to understand what their drivers can hear during a race."These things happen in races where radio comms go down and it's very difficult from the pitwall to figure out if Max can hear you. Obviously that's really obvious to us, and I guess someone's watching their TV as well and can hear the messages from GP going one way but not the messages from Max coming back,," Collins said. "Collins also praised Lambiase for finding a way to communicate with Verstappen despite the problem. However, she said the situation also highlighted the driver's ability to think for himself.ID@undefined Caption not available."But as much as it speaks to the intelligence of GP as a race engineer to think of, 'OK, how can I get an answer without him speaking to me? We just need clear yes-or-no questions.' It also speaks very highly of Max's intelligence and how Max drove that race because he wasn't getting all the coaching that we sometimes hear other drivers getting. He wasn't getting lots of information. He wasn't able to ask about the positions of others or what the race strategy was, or any of these communication methods that we hear other drivers asking. Max didn't have that ability in that race. So, he needed to work it out for himself,” she said.Max Verstappen was impressive despite communication problemsBernie Collins said Max Verstappen had to make important decisions on his own, including when to push, when to manage his pace and how to look after his tyres. She added that his performance showed his ability to understand the race and adjust his driving without the usual support from the pit wall."To have had such a strong race, figure out when he needs to manage, when he needs to push, how the tyres are doing, what the strategy is, to do all of that without those comms really speaks to Max's strength," he said.Where Max Verstappen stands in the 2026 drivers' championshipDespite his Singapore GP success, Max Verstappen is fourth in the 2026 Formula 1 drivers' standings with 221 points. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli leads the championship with 340 points, while his teammate George Russell is second with 238. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton is third with 229 points.Verstappen is 119 points behind Antonelli and 17 points behind Hamilton. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc is fifth with 215 points, just six points behind Verstappen.Also read: Team Principal Laurent Mekies signs new Red Bull deal until 2031 after back to back winsStay updated with the latest Asian Games 2026 news, check the Asian Games medal tally and complete Asian Games schedule.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.