Fresh from his first victory of the season in Malaysia last weekend, Max Verstappen delivered a masterclass under the lights at Marina Bay. The Dutchman had just one flying lap in SQ3 but made it count, producing a stunning 1m31.156s to beat George Russell by 0.120s.
It marks the first time Verstappen has secured pole in Singapore in any qualifying format, with Marina Bay remaining one of the few circuits on the calendar where he has yet to taste victory. The pole came despite Verstappen spending much of SQ3 in the garage while Red Bull worked urgently to resolve an issue with his car.
However, the Dutchman still faces a stewards’ investigation over an incident in SQ1 in which he allegedly overtook Lewis Hamilton under yellow flags, raising the distinct possibility of a grid penalty that could threaten his hard-fought pole position.
Further down the timesheets, Charles Leclerc showed strong pace throughout the session for Ferrari and briefly held provisional pole in SQ3, only to be displaced by both Verstappen and Russell in the closing stages to finish third. Oscar Piastri secured fourth ahead of his McLaren teammate Lando Norris, marking the first time this season the Australian has outqualified the Briton in sprint qualifying.
Reflecting on his performance, Verstappen admitted he had not expected to secure pole, having only used the soft tyre compound for the first time this weekend in SQ3. "It’s always close here in Singapore, and also your lap itself," he said. He added that once they bolted on the soft tyres, it felt like the car was coming alive a little bit more, though acknowledging that Marina Bay still highlights a few little weaknesses in the car.
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