Verstappen Seizes Singapore Pole as Leclerc Falls Just Short
Singapore Grand Prix qualifying — Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, his second pole in a week, after setting the fastest lap on his first run in the final qualifying session on Saturday.
Charles Leclerc came closest to challenging the Red Bull driver, finishing second with a lap 0.054 seconds slower. The Ferrari driver improved on his second run, but the gap remained agonisingly small.
Lewis Hamilton, Leclerc’s Ferrari teammate, had been the nearest rival after the opening runs but could not find further time on his second attempt and ended the session third.
Ferrari's mixed fortunes
Leclerc’s late improvement kept him within a whisker of pole, while Hamilton’s inability to go faster left him third. The result gave Ferrari two of the top three grid slots, but neither could deny Verstappen.
Most front runners struggled to improve on their second runs, a trend that allowed the first-run times to decide much of the order. Oscar Piastri was the only driver from a top-four team other than Leclerc to find extra pace on his second attempt, and it moved him to seventh.
Mercedes and McLaren in the mix
Kimi Antonelli put his Mercedes fourth, ahead of Lando Norris, who was fifth for McLaren. George Russell was sixth fastest in the other Mercedes, but a grid penalty for using too many engine parts will force him to start from the back.
Russell’s difficult day had already included a crash in the sprint race earlier on Saturday, which Verstappen won. The penalty ensures the British driver faces a long afternoon from the rear of the field.
Top 10 order
Behind the leaders, Pierre Gasly qualified eighth for Alpine, with Liam Lawson ninth and Arvid Lindblad tenth, both driving for Racing Bulls.
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
- Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari)
- Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes)
- Lando Norris (McLaren)
- George Russell (Mercedes)
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren)
- Pierre Gasly (Alpine)
- Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls)
- Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls)
Verstappen’s pole adds to his sprint race victory, capping a strong Saturday in Singapore. For Leclerc, the margin of 0.054 seconds will linger as a reminder of how close he came. For Russell, the focus now shifts to damage limitation from the back of the grid.
1 comment