Max Verstappen also secures pole position after the Sprint Race
Max Verstappen claims his first pole position of the season and, after setting the fastest time in the Sprint, also secures the top spot on the grid for the Singapore Grand Prix. The Dutch Red Bull driver put together the perfect lap on his first attempt in Q3, clocking a time of 1’31″373 and finishing ahead of the Ferraris driven by Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. The Monegasque driver managed to improve on his time on his final attempt and finished just 54 thousandths of a second behind the pole-sitter, while the seven-time world champion—who had been blisteringly fast in the first two sessions—made several mistakes at the decisive moment and had to settle for third place. Fourth place went to Kimi Antonelli, ahead of Lando Norris and George Russell. The British Mercedes driver, however, will start from the back of the grid due to a power unit replacement. Rounding out the top ten were Oscar Piastri, Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson, and Arvid Lindblad.
Q1 began with an immediate twist: Isack Hadjar was forced to stop due to a gearbox issue. The team was unable to resolve the problem, and the French driver thus ended the session without setting a time, finishing last. The other drivers stayed out on the track for a long time to take advantage of the gradually improving track conditions, which were still not well-rubbered after the morning rain. Lewis Hamilton was the fastest, ahead of his teammate Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris. Antonelli faced some difficulties, having a lap disallowed for going off-track.
In Q2, Hamilton shifted gears and dominated the session. The Briton set benchmark times in various sectors, demonstrating excellent pace on the Marina Bay circuit. Behind him is a convincing Norris, fresh off the crash in the Sprint race that also involved his teammate Oscar Piastri.
Meanwhile, the struggles continue for Mercedes, which arrived in Singapore with two different setups: George Russell is using the older setup, while Antonelli has the new package. Neither driver managed to establish himself as a serious contender for pole, although the Italian did manage to put together a strong lap in the final stages of qualifying. Leclerc also faced some issues, consistently lagging about four-tenths behind his teammate in Q2. At the end of the session, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto, and Franco Colapinto were eliminated.
In the decisive session, Verstappen immediately landed the winning lap. The Red Bull driver completed his first attempt in 1’31″373, beating a particularly competitive Hamilton by about one-tenth of a second. Behind them came Antonelli, ahead of Leclerc, Norris, and Russell. On the final attempt, however, the balance shifted. Leclerc managed to improve his time and overtook Hamilton, moving into second place just 54 thousandths behind Verstappen. The Monegasque driver thus came close to pole position but had to concede to the Dutchman’s performance.
Hamilton, on the other hand, was unable to replicate his performance from the first two sessions. A few mistakes prevent him from improving on his previous time, and the Ferrari driver slips to third place, 123 thousandths behind the pole-sitter. Antonelli finishes fourth, less than two tenths behind Verstappen, confirming his progress on the flying lap and finishing ahead of Norris. Russell takes sixth place, but he’ll have to start from the back of the grid due to a power unit replacement—a penalty that significantly alters Mercedes’ prospects heading into the race. Behind the top six are Piastri, Gasly, Lawson, and Lindblad, who round out the top ten in the Singapore qualifying session.
