Verstappen storms to Singapore pole, his second in a week
Max Verstappen will start the Singapore Grand Prix from pole position after beating Charles Leclerc by 0.054 seconds under the lights at Marina Bay.
The Red Bull driver stopped the clocks at 1:31.373 on his first run in final qualifying and that single lap was enough to hold top spot, according to the timing screens reported by BBC Sport. It is his second pole in a week in Singapore.
Leclerc takes second for Ferrari. Lewis Hamilton, his teammate, lines up third, just 0.123 seconds back.
Hamilton had set the pace earlier in the evening. He was quickest in both the first and second parts of qualifying, when the field is whittled down from 20 cars to 10. Verstappen found the answer when it mattered, in the final shootout for the first places on the grid.
The margins were tight behind him. Kimi Antonelli was fourth, 0.189 seconds off pole. Lando Norris was fifth, 0.339 seconds back. Oscar Piastri was seventh, 0.487 seconds behind, with Pierre Gasly, Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10.
George Russell set the sixth-fastest time but will start at the back of the grid. His Mercedes needs too many new engine parts, which triggers an automatic penalty under the rules.
The result caps a strong weekend so far for Verstappen. He had already taken pole for the Singapore Sprint with a 1:31.156, 0.120 seconds clear of Russell, and then won the rain-affected sprint race on Saturday, as confirmed by the FIA. Hamilton finished second in that shorter race after jumping both McLarens and Leclerc at the start on a damp track, a move he later described as a mega start.
What makes this stand out is history. Verstappen had never taken pole position or won a race in Singapore before this weekend, when he claimed sprint pole. A street circuit with 19 corners and high humidity, Singapore rewards qualifying pace because overtaking is so difficult.
For fans, this means Sunday starts simple. Verstappen leads. Two Ferraris chase. The McLarens must fight back through traffic.
