The Dutch Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the pole position for the Singapore Formula 1 GP, the 17th round of the season, on a circuit that won the last sprint race of the year.
© Lusa
10/10/2026
by
Lusa
O for the first time today, Max Verstappen (Red Bull) won the pole position for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, the 17th season round, on a circuit where he had already won the last sprint race of the year.
Verstappen recorded his best lap in 1,31,373 minutes, leaving Monegasque Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) in second position at 0.054 seconds, and British Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) in third position at 0.123.
The Italian Andrea Kimi Antonelli (Mercedes), leader of the championship, was fourth to 0.189 seconds, while the British Lando Norris (McLaren) finished fifth to 0.339.
After winning the first position of the grid for the sprint and winning this race, contested today with wet floors, Verstappen again excelled the competition in the Marina Bay urban circuit.
“The car was strong all weekend,” said the Dutchman, pleased to win the first position for the main race and stressing the positive evolution of Red Bull.
Hamilton had been the fastest in the first two phases of the qualification, but failed to repeat that performance in Q3. The time set by Verstappen in the first attempt turned out to be sufficient to secure the ‘pole’, at a final stage where several pilots did not improve their records.
Leclerc managed to rise to second place in the last attempt, surpassing his teammate, but stayed just over five hundredths from Dutch.
“There was potential to conquer the pole today,” considered Monegasco, who reported difficulties in braking during Q1 and Q2, besides “having made mistakes” in the decisive turn.
Hamilton also regretted not being able to maintain Ferrari balance in the last sector, after changes to the car before Q3 and loss of stability in curves 1 and 3.
“ We can work together”, said the British, arguing that the presence of the two Ferraris in the first places will allow Verstappen to press the race.
George Russell (Mercedes) won the sixth half, ahead of the Australian Oscar Piastri (McLaren), French Pierre Gasly (Alpine) and the Racing Bulls of New Zealander Liam Lawson and British Arvid Lindblad.
However, a penalty on the grid will send Russell to the bottom of the platoon, allowing Piastri to depart from sixth and German Nico Hülkenberg (Audi), 11th in qualification, rise to 10th.
Antonelli arrives at the race with 89 points of advantage over Russell, after finishing the sprint in fourth, in a race where the teammate abandoned.
The Singapore Grand Prix is held on Sunday, from 13:00 (in Lisbon).