Singapore - Qualifying

So far, the weekend in Singapore has belonged entirely to Max Verstappen. He snagged the spring pole and then won the sprint itself, adding eight points to his 2026 total. However, his win only came after George Russell's unfortunate slip that took him out of contention. The Brit will not be his competition for pole since he has taken various new engine components and is thus going into qualifying with a 40-place grid drop, but there are other drivers who are just as hungry for the pole. Lewis Hamilton is famously great on the track, and he has been performing impressively well so far. His Ferrari teammate is not far behind. And although Kimi Antonelli was not a threat during the sprint, he should not be counted out too quickly. So will the Dutchman be able to keep his momentum going, or will someone else shine under the Singaporean night sky?

The tight street track can be quite unforgiving, and the drivers proved that at the beginning of Q1 when a couple of yellow flags appeared on track, following various instances of a car going deep into a corner, sometimes even lightly touching the wall. No big damage was sustained in any of the incidents, allowing all the contenders to continue in the session. In fact, only one driver was unable to set a time, and that was through no fault of his own. Isack Hadjar had been experiencing technical issues throughout the whole weekend and, unfortunately for him, they reappeared during qualifying. After a couple of complaints on the radio, he drove into the garage and stayed there until the end of the session. He was the first driver to settle into the elimination zone, in which he was ultimately joined by Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, and Valtteri Bottas. 

The Ferraris dominated Q1, with Hamilton achieving the quickest time of all. The Brit kept his momentum going as the second session began. He was first after the first series of flying laps and only improved on the time with his second attempt. Although the finish meant little in Q2, it bode well for the top ten shootout. Meanwhile, at the back of the grid, midfielders fought for their chance to participate in Q3. The desperation for a great result almost cost Franco Colapinto his car as he touched the wall on his last timed lap. He was able to continue, but the time he achieved wasn't enough to keep him in the fight. He was eliminated alongside Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, and Gabriel Bortoleto. 

Verstappen went to the top not long after Q3 began and stayed there even after all the cars finished their flying laps. He was the last one to appear on track for his second attempt, although the careful preparations ended up being unnecessary: his first effort was enough to secure pole position. Both Ferrari drivers tried to challenge his time but fell just short, finishing the day in P2 and P3. Antonelli secured a position on the second row. 

Order of the grid:

1. Max Verstappen

2. Charles Leclerc

3. Lewis Hamilton

4. Kimi Antonelli

5. Lando Norris

6. Oscar Piastri

7. Liam Lawson

8. Pierre Gasly

9. Arvid Lindblad

10. Nico Hulkenberg

11. Oliver Bearman

12. Esteban Ocon

13. Carlos Sainz

14. Gabriel Bortoleto

15. Franco Colapinto

16. Fernando Alonso

17. Alex Albon

18. Lance Stroll

19. Sergio Perez

20. Valtteri Bottas

21. Isack Hadjar

22. George Russell