Singapore - Sprint Qualifying

For the first time, the weekend in Singapore will feature a sprint race, in addition to Sunday's Grand Prix. Its addition to this particular circuit was met with criticism after the racing calendar for the 2026 season was first revealed, but the decision was not changed. Thus, the first notable session on the streets of Singapore took place on Friday, when the 22 drivers fought for the best position on the sprint grid. 

The shortened qualifying didn't get to get up to full speed before it was interrupted by a yellow flag. It was caused by Sergio Perez, who hit the barrier during his first flying lap. Although it was clear that he wouldn't be able to continue in the session, he still tried to get the car out of the circuit and into the pits. Multiple parts of his destroyed front detached during his unfortunate journey, leaving a lot of debris on the racing line. In order for the track to be returned to its previous condition, the session was stopped with six minutes left on the clock. As the red flag first waved over the circuit, only five drivers had any times on the board. 

After the initial interruption, the rest of the first qualifying session went by rather smoothly. Lewis Hamilton had been the driver on top of the standings when the red flag appeared and remained above everyone else for the bigger part of Q1. Ultimately, his time was beaten only by those of Max Verstappen and George Russell. On the other end of the spectrum, Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll, Alex Albon, Valtteri Bottas, and Carlos Sainz joined Perez in the elimination zone. 

The start of Q2 was delayed due to issues with the timing systems, and once it got going, it was Charles Leclerc who topped the standings. He remained the quickest driver until the end of the session. This time, Franco Colapinto, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, and Esteban Ocon finished their day early. 

Strategies were split going into Q3. Some drivers decided to go out on track early to have times for two flying laps, while others opted to put everything into one clean attempt. Out of those who participated in the session from the very beginning, it was Leclerc who was quickest. Although he did improve on his second attempt, his time was not quick enough to get him the sprint pole. He was beaten by Verstappen and Russell, the former of whom topped the timing sheets and set himself up to start the sprint with a decided advantage. The Ferrari driver will start the race from the second row, alongside Oscar Piastri. 

Order of the grid:

1. Max Verstappen

2. George Russell

3. Charles Leclerc

4. Oscar Piastri

5. Lando Norris

6. Lewis Hamilton

7. Kimi Antonelli

8. Isack Hadjar

9. Liam Lawson

10. Pierre Gasly

11. Franco Colapinto

12. Nico Hulkenberg

13. Oliver Bearman

14. Gabriel Bortoleto

15. Fernando Alonso

16. Esteban Ocon

17. Arvid Lindblad

18. Lance Stroll

19. Alex Albon

20. Sergio Perez

21. Valtteri Bottas

22. Carlos Sainz