Max Verstappen believes Red Bull “maximised” its resul🦹t with a second-place finish at the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix after encounter🐽ing engine issues throughout the weekend.

Despite being thwarted by mapping issues that led to power drop outs in his Renault-powered Red Bull car during qualifying, Verstappen turned in a breathtaking lap to secure a front-row𒈔 start and ou🍸tqualify Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel.

The Dutchman revealed his engine-related issues continued throughout Sunday’s race, as h꧒e struggled to get off the line at the start and immediately came under attack from Vettel, losing the position on the long𝄹 drag to Turn 7.

Verstappen regaine✃d second place during the pit stop window thanks to clever strategy from his Red Bull team as he emerged narrowly ahead of Vettel when the pair ran wheel-to-wheel at the pit lane exit, after his engine appeared to stutter upon leavꦏing his pit box.

He closed in on race-leader Hamilton when the Mercedes driver got caught up in a backmarker squabble, but🐼 ultimately was unable to challenge for victory as he claimed his best result since winning July’s Austrian Grand Prix.

“I think we maximised the😼 result with the problems we had with the engine which was a shame, because I was very happy the safety car was gone because I was almost stalling on the track so even my pit stop was not great,” Verstappen said.

“I൲t was not a perfect getaway, but also behind the safety car it was almost bogging down, false neutrals, so a lot of problems but still very happy w🦄ith second.”

Renault’s well-documented engine deficits to F1 rivals Mercedes and Ferrari have continued to frustrate Red Bull this season,🌞 prompting the Milton Keynes to take on Honda power units from next year.

“You can clearly see we miss top speed,” Verstappen aꦅdded. “But ไfrom there on the team had a great strategy so we could get back into second.

“Basically we did our own race, 🌟tried to follow Lewis a little bit and at the end we knew second was going to be result so you just bring it home.”

When asked by Channel 4 about his engine issues, Verstappen joked: “It was still sick today so🌟 I am going to slap it tonight, or put it on fire.”