Max Verstappen arrived at the Singapore Grand Prix with a new pair of race boots and left with a victory he had been chasing for years.
The Verstappen.com Instagram account shared an image of the boots before the weekend. The design features a navy base with a pink floral pattern, alongside the Red Bull and Oracle branding of his regular kit. The post drew close to an astonishing 50,000 likes.
Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc
Fans were quick to take in the immense detail. Several fans questioned whether the flower resembled a hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia, rather than an orchid, Singapore's national flower. F1 raced at Sepang the weekend before, where the relocated Bahrain Grand Prix was held, and Max Verstappen won it.
While the design is eye-catching, race boots are a functional part of a driver's kit. They must meet FIA safety standards for fire resistance, and are built with thin soles so drivers can feel the pedals precisely. That means they can only really personalise them with different colours and designs, but that does not usually stop Max Verstappen. As one fan asked under the post: 'does he ever not have special boots?'
Whatever the inspiration, they proved lucky.
Singapore had been one of the few venues to elude Max Verstappen. In 2023, he qualified 11th and finished fifth at Marina Bay as Carlos Sainz won for Ferrari — the only race Red Bull lost all season. Last year, he finished second to George Russell.
Max Verstappen sits in 4th position of the drivers' championship with 221 points.
Source: Motorsport
