Verstappen Denies Ferrari Singapore Pole by 0.054 Seconds
Lewis Hamilton led Q1 and Q2, but Max Verstappen delivered the decisive lap to beat Charles Leclerc by just 0.054 seconds, leaving both Ferraris in the top three.
Qualifying classification is provisional. Positions below are qualifying results, before grid penalties.
Max Verstappen took Singapore Grand Prix pole with a 1:31.373, narrowly holding off a Ferrari challenge that had looked particularly strong through Lewis Hamilton.
Charles Leclerc finished second, just 0.054 seconds behind, while Hamilton was third, 0.123 seconds away from pole. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, putting the leading four drivers within two-tenths of a second.
Hamilton sets the pace, Verstappen finds the answer
Hamilton topped the opening session with a 1:32.429, then led Q2 with a 1:31.529. Ferrari had the speed to challenge, but the final session changed the order.
Verstappen’s first Q3 attempt proved decisive. Hamilton could not improve on his final run, while Leclerc found enough time to move ahead of his teammate and become the closest challenger.
Hamilton later explained that sudden oversteer, when the rear of the car steps out, disrupted his opening corners in Q3. He reported similar difficulty on his final attempt after feeling more comfortable earlier in qualifying.
Leclerc also believed pole had been within reach. He described the car pulling under braking during the earlier sessions and acknowledged mistakes on his final lap, while crediting Verstappen with doing the better job.
Ferrari finished close enough to leave both drivers considering what might have been. Verstappen, meanwhile, added Grand Prix pole to his Sprint pole and Sprint victory.
Russell returns after Mercedes rebuild
Mercedes repaired George Russell’s car following his opening-lap Sprint crash, allowing him to qualify sixth behind Lando Norris.
Russell thanked the mechanics for the rebuild but said the car’s balance did not feel as good as it had on Friday.
His sixth place is a qualifying result, not his Sunday starting position. The existing 40-place power-unit grid penalty was issued on October 9 and predates the crash.
Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, followed by Pierre Gasly and the Racing Bulls pair of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.
Hadjar’s session ends without a time
Isack Hadjar recorded no qualifying time. Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies attributed the problem to the gearbox, according to Reuters.
Nico Hülkenberg was the first driver outside Q3 in 11th, ahead of Oliver Bearman and Esteban Ocon.
Hülkenberg was also summoned over allegedly impeding Carlos Sainz at Turn 5. No outcome had been verified at the time of writing, and the latest FIA qualifying classification checked remained provisional.
Singapore GP qualifying: top 10
Qualifying order, before grid penalties.
1. Max Verstappen — 1:31.373
2. Charles Leclerc — 1:31.427
3. Lewis Hamilton — 1:31.496
4. Kimi Antonelli — 1:31.562
5. Lando Norris — 1:31.712
6. George Russell — 1:31.747
7. Oscar Piastri — 1:31.860
8. Pierre Gasly — 1:32.225
9. Liam Lawson — 1:32.369
10. Arvid Lindblad — 1:32.781
