Verstappen takes Singapore sprint pole as stewards probe a possible penalty
Max Verstappen set the fastest time in Singapore sprint qualifying on Friday, 0.120 seconds ahead of George Russell. The Red Bull driver could still lose the position after stewards opened an investigation into an overtake under yellow flags.
Verstappen takes sprint pole
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Saturday's sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix, the 17th round of the Formula 1 season. AFP gives his lap as 1:31.156 under the floodlights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, while ANSA reports 1'31''153 for the same session. George Russell took second for Mercedes, 0.120 seconds back, and Charles Leclerc was third for Ferrari at 0.243 seconds. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) was fourth, ahead of Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton, with championship leader Kimi Antonelli seventh in the second Mercedes. The sprint runs over 21 laps on Saturday, with the main race on Sunday.
- Russell
- 0.12 seconds
- Leclerc
- 0.243 seconds
- Antonelli
- 0.693 seconds
Stewards investigate an overtake
Verstappen faces a stewards' investigation over an alleged overtake on Hamilton while yellow flags were waving. Adnkronos places the incident in SQ1 and reports that Verstappen was summoned by the stewards, while Focus describes it as an overtake during a yellow-flag phase. Blick reports that both drivers had to appear before the stewards at 16:15 Swiss time, and that Russell starts alongside Verstappen on the front row only if the result stands. The Independent reports that Hamilton accused Verstappen on the radio as flags waved after Sergio Pérez made contact with the barriers. Verstappen described his lap after qualifying:
Once we bolted on the soft tyres (for SQ3), it felt like the car was coming alive a little bit more, but I did not expect this.
Red flags and a delayed second session
Sergio Pérez's Cadillac hit the barrier at Turn 4 during the first session, damaging its front wing, and red flags came after nearly six minutes of running. Blick reports the interruption came with 6:09 remaining in SQ1, and that Pérez then drove over his own debris, spreading more carbon fragments on the track. The start of the second part was delayed because the timing system did not register some lap times from the first part. The Independent reports that the FIA said it was investigating whether the session could proceed, and that the cars returned after a 16-minute halt. Blick says Gabriel Bortoleto was moved from 18th to 11th after the timing correction, while Arvid Lindblad of Racing Bulls was knocked out early.
- Sergio Pérez hits the barrier at Turn 4 and red flags are shown
- Start delayed by a timing system problem that left some SQ1 lap times unregistered
- Session pauses for 16 minutes before cars return to track
Season context
Verstappen won the race in Malaysia last weekend, his first win of the season. Blick notes that Russell has won three of the five sprints held this year, all from pole. Antonelli leads the championship by 84 points with seven rounds remaining, according to The Independent, after Russell suffered a power-unit failure in the closing stages last week. Russell will start Sunday's main race from the back of the grid after fitting a new power unit. Singapore has also been affected by haze from wildfires in Indonesia, with air quality at its worst level this year.
What comes next
The sprint race on Saturday is 21 laps long, and the Grand Prix follows on Sunday. The outcome of the stewards' investigation into Verstappen was still pending in the reports. Whether Verstappen keeps pole will be decided before the sprint starts.
