Lando Norris grabbed pole position in Singapore
Lando Norris will line up on pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, securing the coveted grid slot ahead of Max Verstappen in a one-lap pole position shoot-out.
Carlos Sainz created drama in Q3 as he crashed at the final corner, which led to Verstappen losing his P1 time for not slowing for yellow flags. Verstappen bounced back to qualify P2 on the front row.
Daniel Ricciardo suffered huge blow in Q1 exit
Following tyre pressure issues in final practice, Ferrari were out immediately to get a feel for the track conditions, Charles Leclerc popping up in P1 with a 1:30.8. His stay at the top was short-lived as Lando Norris came through with a 1:30.7.
Carlos Sainz, up in P4, was under investigation for failing to follow the Race Director’s notes and rejoining the track on the wrong side of the bollard having gone off at Turn 1.
Track evolution meant with three minutes to go Alex Albon was P1 in the Williams, while Pierre Gasly, Valtteri Bottas, Zhou Guanyu, Franco Colapinto and Lance Stroll were in the drop zone. George Russell was the first driver heard on the radio swearing, “I’m not f****** grip,” but he made it through in 13th place.
Norris topped Q1 by a tenth ahead of Max Verstappen while out went Daniel Ricciardo, Stroll, Gasly, Bottas and Zhou.
Sergio Perez out in Q2, behind the Williams team-mates
Verstappen came out of the blocks firing in Q2 and was purple in the first two sectors only to lose the rear end of his RB20, and his lap time as he put all four wheels off the track at Turn 19. That put Sergio Perez up into P1 with a 1:30.6 before Nico Hulkenberg and then Norris beat his time.
A frustrated Albon asked Williams: “What are we doing with the tyres? Nothing! Absolutely nothing!” Albon was P10 with Colapinto 11th, both Williams team-mates needing to improve to guarantee their progress.
Lewis Hamilton, out of sync with the rest of the drivers, hit the front but it was Piastri and Verstappen who came through to finish Q2 first and second, the McLaren driver having lowered the benchmark to a 1:29.640.
Neither of the Williams team-mates made it through to Q2, out along with Perez, Kevin Magnussen and Esteban Ocon.
Lando Norris claims pole position for the Singapore GP
The top ten took to the street circuit for Q3 with Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso and Yuki Tsunoda on used tyres, the rest on brand new softs. Verstappen went quickest on his first flying lap but Norris was flying behind him… but had to back off for a crash as Sainz binned at the final corner. Red flag!
The Spaniard lost control of his Ferrari and spun off into the barrier, hard. “Cold tyres or “big snap” he told Ferrari. Adding to his misery, he was noted by Race Control for crossing the track.
Meanwhile, Verstappen’s time was deleted for passing double waved yellows at Turn 18. He countered that, telling GP over the radio: “I lifted, I lifted.” GP told him “no worries”, he “lifted”. But having lost his time, it was Piastri who sat P1.
The minutes counted down on a one-lap shoot-out for pole position as the drivers waited in the pits after the session was green-lighted. Piastri was the first out with four minutes to go, Norris behind him.
Norris leapfrogged his team-mate with a 1:29.525 to sit on provisional pole, Hamilton jumped up to second but lost that to Verstappen, Leclerc was P5 but had his time deleted for running wide at Turn 2 and he’ll line up P9 with Sainz in 10th place.
Times
1 Lando Norris 1:29.525
2 Max Verstappen +0.203
3 Lewis Hamilton +0.316
4 George Russell +0.342
5 Oscar Piastri +0.428
6 Nico Hulkenberg +0.590
7 Fernando Alonso +0.689
8 Yuki Tsunoda +0.829
9 Charles Leclerc no time
10 Carlos Sainz no time
11 Alex Albon 1:30.450
12 Franco Colapinto 1:30.481
13 Sergio Perez 1:30.579
14 Kevin Magnussen 1:30.653
15 Esteban Ocon 1:30.769
16 Daniel Ricciardo 1:31.085
17 Lance Stroll 1:31.094
18 Pierre Gasly 1:31.312
19 Valtteri Bottas 1:31.571
20 Zhou Guanyu 1:32.053