THE HEAT IS TRULY ON FOR VERSTAPPEN

2nd spot positive for him despite swearing penalty as Norris trims his advantage

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Max Verstappen arrived in Singapore determined to maintain his lead in the drivers' championship battle with McLaren's Lando Norris, and he leaves the Republic with two fights on his hands.

While Norris slashed Verstappen's lead to 52 points by taking victory at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, an eventful weekend off the track has meant that the Dutchman not only finds himself facing a battle on the tracks, but also off it.

The Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix weekend saw Verstappen making the headlines for the wrong reasons after being ordered by motorsports' governing body Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to "accomplish some work of public interest" for using an expletive during a press conference in Singapore on Sept 19.

On Sept 21, at the FIA press conference for the top three drivers in qualifying, Verstappen showed his displeasure at the punishment meted out by giving mostly monosyllabic answers.

He later called the situation "ridiculous" and criticised the FIA's approach, stating it was "not the right way to go forward in our sport".