Max Verstappen’s remarkable winning streak came to an unexpected halt at the Singapore Grand Prix, where Lando Norris took the top spot, leaving the Red Bull driver in second place. Despite his usual dominance, Verstappen revealed a rather unexpected reason for why he couldn’t keep up with Norris.

In a post-race interview, Verstappen explained that his Red Bull car didn’t feel as sharp as usual on the Marina Bay Street Circuit. “Honestly, I knew from the start we were going to struggle a bit here,” Verstappen admitted. “It’s one of those tracks where we’ve always had issues with tire degradation and grip.”

The Dutch driver, who has been virtually unbeatable this season, also hinted at a unique mental factor that affected his race. “Sometimes, it’s not the car or the strategy-it’s just hard to find that extra push when you’re leading the championship by so much I caught myself being a bit too relaxed out there today,” he said, adding with a smile, “Maybe I need to stop chilling so much.”

Verstappen’s surprising revelation about his mindset raised eyebrows, as the reigning champion is known for his fierce competitiveness. However, the Red Bull driver assured fans that this was a one-off situation, saying, “Don’t worry, I’ll be back to full speed next race.”

Despite his relaxed approach, Verstappen still managed a respectable second-place finish, keeping a strong hold on the championship lead. Norris, on the other hand, capitalized on the opportunity, delivering a flawless race to secure his third win of the season, narrowing the gap in the drivers’ standings.

Verstappen remains confident heading into the next races, noting that Singapore has always been a challenging circuit for Red Bull. “We knew this would be a tough one. We’ll regroup and be ready for the upcoming races where I’m sure we’ll bounce back,” Verstappen concluded. With just a handful of races left, all eyes are now on the next Grand Prix as the battle for the championship intensifies.