Verstappen seized Singapore pole, outpacing both Ferraris as Mercedes faltered. Can you feel the tension?
The four-time champion posted a 1:31.373 lap, edging Leclerc by 0.054 seconds to claim his second pole of the weekend after the sprint.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli and teammate George Russell landed fourth and sixth respectively, the Brit set to start from the back due to an engine penalty, while Red Bull’s Isack Hadjar also begins at the rear after Q1 troubles.
Q1 – Hadjar failed with his Red Bull
Isack Hadjar, Red Bull Racing
The first qualifying stint began poorly for Esteban Ocon, who locked a wheel and brushed the wall at Turn 13. Shortly after, Lance Stroll suffered a similar slip at Turn 7, both escaping without damage.
Hadjar later suffered an engine shutdown, reporting “The engine is off.” He managed to restart, entered the pits and recorded no time.
After his sprint‑race clash with Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris set the early Q2 pace with a 1:33.047 lap, just 0.029 seconds ahead of his teammate. Verstappen and Hamilton trailed by 0.194 and 0.264 seconds, leaving the Mercedes pair over half a second behind.
With five minutes left, Arvid Lindblad, Alexander Albon, Sergio Pérez, Valtteri Bottas, Gabriel Bortoleto and Hadjar occupied the bottom six, while Stroll sat a mere 0.04 seconds ahead of the 17th‑placed Racing Bulls. Hadjar lamented, “Same issue, I lost the gears,” before retiring to the pit lane.
Hamilton led the next session with a 1:32.680 lap, improving to 1:32.429, three‑tenths quicker than Leclerc and Norris. The Silver Arrows ultimately qualified 12th and 13th, nearly 1.2 seconds off the pace.
Further down, strong runs from Lindblad and Bortoleto pushed both Aston Martins out of the top‑16, ending the days for Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll.
Q2 – Hamilton on top, though Verstappen challenged
Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari
Hamilton kept his Q2 edge with a 1:31.766 lap, four‑tenths clear of Antonelli. Verstappen lagged over half a second, complaining about “insanely bad” gear shifts. In my view, his struggle hints at a vulnerable Red Bull this weekend.
Theoretically three Q3 spots were open for midfield teams; with five minutes remaining they were claimed by Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hülkenberg, while Pierre Gasly sat just two‑tenths behind the German in 11th.
Gasly then surged six‑tenths on his final attempt, overtaking his rivals. The Racing Bulls reclaimed their edge over Alpine, but the Frenchman secured the final top‑10 shootout place as Hülkenberg fell short by two‑tenths.
After clipping the wall at Turn 17, Franco Colapinto dropped to 16th, a full 1.2 seconds behind his teammate.
Hamilton extended his dominance with a 1:31.529 lap, only Verstappen edging close at 1:31.639. Norris and Leclerc trailed by 0.366 and 0.424 seconds, while Antonelli and Russell remained over half a second back.
Q3 – Verstappen prevails in the final phase
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Verstappen actually set the early Q3 pace, clocking 1:31.373, while Hamilton posted 1:31.496 despite being nearly three‑tenths quicker in sector two.
Antonelli posted an encouraging 1:31.562 for third, with Leclerc, Norris and Russell within four‑tenths of the leader. Piastri lagged 0.820 seconds, slower than everyone except Lindblad in the final sector.
Both Verstappen and Hamilton failed to improve on their final runs; Leclerc eclipsed the Brit for second, finishing just 0.054 seconds behind the Red Bull pole‑setter.
Piastri was the sole other top‑team driver to improve, shaving over three‑tenths, yet he only managed seventh behind Antonelli, Norris and Russell.
Gasly topped the Alpine pack with a 1:32.225 lap; Lawson and Lindblad were 0.144 and 0.556 seconds slower respectively.
Photos from F1 Singapore GP – Saturday
F1 Singapore GP Qualifying Results – Who will claim victory on Sunday?
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