The 'no fluke' secrets behind Max Verstappen and Red Bull return to F1 glory

Max Verstappen and Red Bull's victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia was no fluke.

The RB22 proved to be an extremely competitive car around the Sepang International Circuit, helped by a series of recent upgrades.

The latest involved revisions to the upper profile of the sidepods and, most significantly, the undercut, allowing Red Bull to introduce a different aerodynamic map for the RB22 from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards.

The car is now much more precise and responsive, with Isack Hadjar's performances providing further evidence of the progress made.

It is worth remembering that, for much of the season, Verstappen had complained about the unpredictable behaviour of his car through the middle of corners, often experiencing rear-end snaps.

These reactions prevented him from having complete confidence in the RB22 and, consequently, from extracting its maximum potential.

Advantages of Sepang and the upcoming litmus test

Sepang's layout — featuring two long straights linked by the final hairpin, followed by a sequence of medium- and high-speed corners — provided an ideal opportunity to showcase the gains made with the car.

The RB22 also benefited from the powerful internal-combustion engine and excellent energy-management capabilities, although the demands placed on the power unit at Sepang ultimately proved less severe than anticipated.

Verstappen also had the advantage of being one of only three drivers to have previously won at Sepang. That prior experience, combined with his ability to interpret the circuit in light of the demands of modern F1 machinery, proved valuable both over a single lap in qualifying and in the complex management of a damp track during the race, as grip levels evolved continuously.

Now, with Singapore next on the calendar, the Marina Bay Street Circuit represents another important litmus test.

The vastly different characteristics of the circuit will reveal just how far Red Bull's development programme at Milton Keynes has transformed the RB22 — and whether the car can consistently unlock its potential across fundamentally different track layouts.

If that proves to be the case, Red Bull may finally have turned the RB22 into a genuinely all-round package.