Verstappen takes sprint pole from Russell in Singapore
Already one of the toughest races on the calendar, this year poses an even bigger challenge as it’s the first time that Singapore has ever hosted a sprint weekend. The drivers went into sprint qualifying after just one hour of practice in the gruelling heat of the Marina Bay Circuit.
After an intense session under the lights, it was Max Verstappen who took sprint pole ahead of George Russell while Kimi Antonelli could only manage seventh.
SQ1 - Verstappen goes quickest as Perez causes a red flag
With eight minutes to go, Sergio Perez went in too hot at Turn 4, damaging his front wing. The Mexican nursed his car back to the garage but scattered debris onto the circuit, causing a red flag.
This turned the session on its head - the entire field came back out to ensure they could safely get through. The pressure was on to deliver the lap times with no mistakes. But as he often does under pressure, Max Verstappen delivered a single lap time of 1:33.477 which was good enough for first.
Despite topping the session, the four-time champion is under investigation for a yellow flag infringement at Turn 7 where he passed Lewis Hamilton. The stewards confirmed that it will be investigated after the session.
SQ1 Exits
P17 - Arvid Lindblad
P18 - Lance Stroll
P19 - Alexander Albon
P20 - Valtteri Bottas
P21 - Carlos Sainz
P22 - Sergio Perez
SQ2 - Ferrari show their hand with a 1-2
The start of SQ2 was delayed due to a glitch in the timing system. The FIA confirmed that some times weren’t recorded in SQ1, and had to rectify them and confirm that the session could go ahead.
After a few minutes, the session commenced and was topped by the two Ferraris. Charles Leclerc had the bragging rights, setting a lap time of 1:32.246 while Hamilton was second. The top four teams were all safely through, as were Liam Lawson and Pierre Gasly.
During the session, Verstappen was impeded by none other than Hamilton, adding another incident to their rivalry and their second within one qualifying session.
SQ2 Exits
P11 - Franco Colapinto
P12 - Nico Hulkenberg
P13 - Oliver Bearman
P14 - Gabriel Bortoleto
P15 - Fernando Alonso
P16 - Esteban Ocon
SQ3 - Verstappen takes sprint pole from Russell
Everyone showed their hand in the final shootout, but it was Verstappen who set the quickest time of 1:31.156. The most recent race winner was ahead of Russell by 0.120 seconds, and Charles Leclerc was third.
Oscar Piastri has out-qualified Lando Norris in a sprint for the first time this season, the McLaren’s are ahead of Hamilton, who looked quick at the start of SQ3, but overcooked his tyres and would only set one lap time before returning to the garage.
The championship leader Kimi Antonelli could only manage seventh, and Isack Hadjar will be disappointed to be eighth after having his lap time deleted due to track limits at the final turn.
Top 10
P1 - Max Verstappen
P2 - George Russell
P3 - Charles Leclerc
P4 - Oscar Piastri
P5 - Lando Norris
P6 - Lewis Hamilton
P7 - Kimi Antonelli
P8 - Liam Lawson
P9 - Isack Hadjar
P10 - Pierre Gasly
Looking ahead
After seeing the drivers take it to the limit in sprint qualifying, it all bodes well for the rest of the weekend. We have Verstappen driving at his best, Ferrari looking competitive and the two Mercedes are both in a position of damage limitation.
Looking to tomorrow, the sprint is not likely to feature pit stops, so it will be a fascinating process to see who manages their tyres best throughout, and this session has just confirmed that the main qualifying is going to be a brilliant spectacle.
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