Formula 1: Verstappen Takes Maiden Pole In Singapore GP As Hamilton Misses Out

Formula 1: Verstappen takes maiden pole in Singapore GP as Hamilton misses out (Max Verstappen takes maiden pole as Hamilton misses out in the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore on Saturday. Photo credit: Formula 1)

Marina Bay Street Circuit:  Max Verstappen continued his dominance on Saturday at the Singapore Grand Prix by claiming his first pole position at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, edging Ferrari's Charles Leclerc after earlier winning the weekend's Sprint race.

The Red Bull driver set a fastest lap of 1 minute, 31.373 seconds, beating Leclerc by just 0.054 seconds, with Lewis Hamilton third in the other Ferrari.

Verstappen's pole completed a remarkable turnaround at a circuit that had previously eluded him. Before Saturday, Singapore was the only venue on the current Formula 1 calendar where the four-time world champion had never won, but he broke that drought with victory in the Sprint after having also topped Friday's Sprint qualifying session, reports Xinhua.

"Very happy to be on pole because this is the one I wanted," said Verstappen. "The car has been pretty strong all weekend. There are always things that can be better, but it was enough for pole.

"We have been on a positive trend, so for us it's very special to take pole here," he added.

Qualifying took place on a dry track after a torrential downpour before the Sprint had delayed the start of that race.

Hamilton had appeared as the man to beat in the opening two segments, topping both Q1 and Q2 as he pursued his first Grand Prix pole position since the 2023 Hungarian Grand Prix, when he was driving for Mercedes.

The seven-time world champion set a time of 1:31.529 in Q2, 0.110 seconds quicker than Verstappen, raising hopes of Ferrari's first pole position of the 2026 season.

However, Verstappen found more pace when it mattered, setting the benchmark on his first run in Q3 with a lap of 1:31.373, putting him 0.123 seconds ahead of Hamilton.

Neither driver improved on their second runs, with Hamilton suffering a slide in the final sector that cost him around two-tenths of a second.

Leclerc, meanwhile, produced a late improvement to split the pair and secure a front-row start alongside Verstappen.

Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth in his Mercedes, ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris and George Russell in the second Mercedes.

However, Russell is set to start Sunday's race from the back of the grid after exceeding his permitted allocation of power unit components following an engine failure at last weekend's Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.

McLaren's Oscar Piastri qualified seventh, followed by Alpine's Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls teammates Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad.

Earlier, the opening segment was disrupted by mechanical problems for Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar, who twice reported losing power and gears before failing to set a competitive lap time.

"The engine is off," Hadjar told his team as he slowed on track, briefly triggering yellow flags.

Although he managed to get moving again, the problem returned, leaving him unable to set a time and consigning him to last place.

In Q2, Nico Hulkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto were eliminated, with the latter suffering a sizeable slide on his final attempt that prevented him from improving.

In addition to Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were also eliminated in Q1.

Alonso is also set to start from the back after an engine change, while Esteban Ocon narrowly avoided the barriers after locking up and complaining of a lack of brakes. Stroll suffered a similar moment.

In addition to Hadjar, Fernando Alonso, Alex Albon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas were also eliminated in Q1.

Article Source: IANS