Verstappen seizes Singapore Sprint pole. Russell joins him on the front row. Antonelli faces a fight from seventh.
Max Verstappen topped F1 qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, delivering a first qualifying-session triumph at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Red Bull Racing driver set a best time of 1:31.156 in the final shootout, ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli could manage only seventh place, behind both Ferraris and McLarens. Sprint pole does not award the traditional Grand Prix grid position, but it gives Verstappen the first shot at the sprint’s opening corner under Singapore’s lights. The gaps also underline how quickly the order shifted across the three qualifying segments.
Verstappen takes Singapore Sprint pole after disrupted opening
The session nearly stalled before it began. Sergio Perez hit the Tecpro barriers at Turn 5, bringing out a red flag before any driver had posted a time; debris clearance left only six minutes for the first segment. The compressed run sent cars rushing out as soon as the pit lane reopened, turning SQ1 into a scramble for a clean lap.
Verstappen emerged fastest with a 1:33.477, edging Leclerc by 0.018 seconds and Russell by 0.096 seconds. Nico Hulkenberg impressed for Audi, while Arvid Lindblad missed the cut by a tenth amid confusion linked to an FIA software issue. Alex Albon also exited in SQ1; his season profile is available in the LAS Motorsport driver guide.
Ferrari and McLaren pressure Mercedes in F1 qualifying
Verstappen improved to 1:32.724 on his first SQ2 attempt, but Leclerc soon lowered the benchmark to 1:32.457. Antonelli and Russell initially sat six and nine tenths back, respectively, leaving Mercedes with work to do before the final segment.
Russell’s late lock-up at Turn 13 threatened to end his session, but a final push carried him back into the top ten and then onto the front row. He finished ahead of Leclerc, Oscar Piastri, Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton; the order showed how little margin the teams had on Marina Bay’s tight, unforgiving streets. More weekend coverage is available in LAS Motorsport’s F1 news.
Antonelli’s seventh place sets up a sprint recovery test
In SQ3, the switch to soft tyres gave drivers only a brief window to find time. Norris set the early pace, then Leclerc moved ahead with 1:31.568 before improving to 1:31.399. Verstappen answered on his sole attempt, beating that mark by 0.243 seconds.
Antonelli ended 0.693 seconds off pole, behind the leading Ferraris and McLarens, while Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly completed the top ten. The Mercedes rookie now starts the sprint from seventh, where traffic and tyre management could shape his route forward. For Verstappen, this first Marina Bay qualifying benchmark turns pole into a clear test of whether Red Bull can convert one fast lap into control of the race.
