Verstappen takes Singapore sprint pole amid Perez shunt and FIA power error
Max Verstappen will start the Singapore sprint race from pole position, with George Russell alongside him on the front row.
Verstappen set the fastest time in sprint qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, ahead of Russell in second, Charles Leclerc in third and Oscar Piastri in fourth. Kimi Antonelli took seventh. The result continues a turnaround for Verstappen, who had claimed his first victory of the 2026 season before arriving in Singapore, according to Formula 1.
The sprint was scheduled to start at 10am BST on 10 October 2026, with the main Grand Prix qualifying to follow at 2pm BST the same day The Guardian. A sprint is a shorter race held before the Grand Prix, and sprint qualifying is the quick-fire session that decides its starting order.
The first part of that session, SQ1, was stopped after Sergio Perez hit the wall at Turn 5. The Cadillac driver struck the barrier, brought out a red flag — which halts the session — for debris, then extracted the car and drove back to the pits Sky Sports.
That incident also drew Verstappen into trouble with the officials. He was investigated after overtaking Lewis Hamilton, who was driving for Ferrari, under yellow flags brought out for Perez's crash. Yellow flags are a warning that drivers must slow down and not overtake because of a hazard on track. The stewards later issued a verdict on the incident, Formula 1 reported Formula 1.
There was a second controversy after the red flag. Race control reactivated ‘overtake mode’ — extra electrical power drivers can deploy for a burst of speed — for 27 seconds before switching it off again for the rest of the session.
The FIA admitted the disparity was caused by human error rather than a software fault. Race control said the brief reactivation helped drivers who were setting a lap time at the end of the session, leaving others without the same power available.
For fans, this means a fast but messy build-up to Saturday in Singapore. Verstappen has the best seat for the sprint. Russell, Leclerc and Piastri are close behind. And the questions about flags and power buttons will follow the field into qualifying.
