Verstappen Takes Maiden Singapore GP Pole as Hamilton Qualifies Third

Dragon Media News Desk

Red Bull’s Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday for the first time. He edged Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.054 seconds, while Leclerc’s teammate Lewis Hamilton qualified third.

Verstappen set the fastest lap at 1 minute 31.373 seconds. He had already won the Sprint race and topped Sprint qualifying on Friday. The result marked a notable achievement for the four-time world champion, who had never won a Grand Prix in Singapore.

Hamilton was fastest in both of the opening qualifying segments. He clocked 1:31.529 in Q2, 0.110 seconds quicker than Verstappen, raising hopes that Ferrari could claim its first pole of the season. Hamilton was seeking his first Grand Prix pole since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix.

But Verstappen set the pace on his first run in Q3, going 0.123 seconds faster than Hamilton. Neither driver improved on their second attempt. Hamilton lost around two-tenths of a second after his car slid in the final sector, while Leclerc produced a late improvement to secure a front-row start alongside Verstappen.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes qualified fourth. McLaren’s Lando Norris was fifth, ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell in sixth. Russell is set to start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid after exceeding his permitted allocation of power-unit components following an engine failure at last weekend’s Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls teammates Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.

Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar could not set a competitive time in Q1 because of mechanical problems. After twice reporting a loss of power and gears, his car stopped and he was classified last. Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto were eliminated in Q2. Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were knocked out in Q1. Alonso will also start from the back after an engine change.

Heavy rain delayed the start of the Sprint, but qualifying took place on a dry track. Verstappen has now claimed Sprint pole, Sprint victory and Grand Prix pole in Singapore. He will look to complete a clean sweep on Sunday by winning the Grand Prix, the one major Singapore result that has so far eluded him.