Key events
Qualifying report
And that’s all for today. Here’s Giles Richards’ verdict on a good day for Max Verstappen:
It is another demonstration of how the tranche of recent upgrades have improved the Red Bull. Verstappen took his first pole and win of the season in Malaysia and has followed it with pole for the sprint, the win and a further pole for the GP, with a control that proves how much more comfortable he is with the car and able to exploit it.
His 50th career pole is his first in Singapore, a track where he has yet to win a GP, one of only two, alongside the Madring, on the current calendar where he has yet to take victory.
Join Daniel Harris for tomorrow’s race, which starts at 1pm BST.
So what does that all mean? In terms of the racing, the distance, the conditions and the tyre changes should make for a better event than the sprint. There’s only one Red Bull at the front, so especially if Verstappen struggles off the line again then the Ferraris may be able to combine. But Antonelli in fourth is still heading towards the title.
Full qualifying times
1 Max Verstappen 🇳🇱 Red Bull 1:31.373
2 Charles Leclerc 🇲🇨 Ferrari 1:31.427
3 Lewis Hamilton 🇬🇧 Ferrari 1:31.496
4 Kimi Antonelli 🇮🇹 Mercedes 1:31.562
5 Lando Norris 🇬🇧 McLaren 1:31.712
6 George Russell 🇬🇧 Mercedes 1:31.712
7 Oscar Piastri 🇦🇺 McLaren 1:31.860
8 Pierre Gasly 🇫🇷 Alpine 1:32.225
9 Liam Lawson 🇳🇿 Racing Bulls 1:32.369
10 Arvid Lindblad 🇬🇧 Racing Bulls 1:32.781
Q2 eliminations
11 Nico Hülkenberg 🇩🇪 Audi 1:32.784
12 Oliver Bearman 🇬🇧 Haas 1:32.908
13 Esteban Ocon 🇫🇷 Haas 1:33.323
14 Carlos Sainz 🇪🇸 Williams 1:33.526
15 Gabriel Bortoleto 🇧🇷 Audi 1:33.658
16 Franco Colapinto 🇦🇷 Alpine 1:33.787
Q1 eliminations
17 Fernando Alonso 🇪🇸 Aston Martin 1:34.223
18 Alexander Albon 🇹🇭 Williams 1:34.289
19 Lance Stroll 🇨🇦 Aston Martin 1:34.946
20 Sergio Pérez 🇲🇽 Cadillac 1:35.123
21 Valtteri Bottas 🇫🇮 Cadillac 1:35.984
22 Isack Hadjar 🇫🇷 Red Bull no time
Verstappen again, hoping for a better start. That could be critical and it should be dry, unlike Malaysia and the sprint.
To paraphrase, Hamilton said that the track evolved and he didn’t react quite in the right way. He hopes he and Leclerc, as a Ferrari team, can put Verstappen under pressure.
And now Hamilton. “Another difficult Q3. Congrats to Max. We made some changes going into qualifying. Q1 and Q2 awesome. We got to Q3 and snaps into 1 and 3 … Finding that sweet spot is very, very dfficult.”
Leclerc now. “The good lap was on the right lap at the end but I had a lot of problems in this qualifying. Q1 and Q2 I had some weird things going on … There was a potential to be on pole today but Max did a better job.”
Red Bull’s early-season woes are in the rear-view mirror. “We have been on a positive trend, so it’s really special to take a pole here.”
Verstappen gives his verdict. “It was good. Just very close. The margins are very close between us throughout the whole of qualifying, so very happy … This was the one that I wanted.”
Verstappen takes pole from Leclerc and Hamilton
Max Verstappen, with pole in the bag, eases off. Leclerc was 0.054 behind him, Hamilton +0.123, Antonelli 0.189.
Hamilton is pipped by Leclerc!
Final laps now. Norris through in 5th.
Only the Mercedes pair out there.
Hamilton was so close to a wall.
Hamilton is only second fastest, 0.123 behind Verstappen, with Antonelli just behind him, 0.189.
Norris can manage only third, +0.339, and Piastri fourth, +0.820.
Leclerc puts in a decent time, 1:31.661.
Verstappen first to set a time, 1:31.373.
Q3 is go. Verstappen out early.
Red Bull’s Laurent Mekies agrees with David Croft that it will be a Hamilton v Verstappen battle for pole.
Q2 eliminations
Out go Hulkenberg, Ocon, Bearman, Sainz, Colapinto and Bortoleto.
Russell up to sixth fastest there.
Colapinto bounces off a wall! Gasly up to 8th, dropping Hulkenberg in.
Better for Red Bull’s survivor: Verstappen 0.110 behind Hamilton in second now. No movement on the drop zone.
Hamilton faster still: 1:31.529. He is really enjoying this.
Norris has now gone second fastest – 0.129 behind Hamilton. Their teammates are down in 6th and 7th, with Piastri ahead of Leclerc.
Alonso is taking a new engine. I think that lifts Russell to 21st and Hadjar to 20th, but I’m not sure.
The drop zone is shaping up as Gasly, Ocon, Bearman, Sainz, Colapinto and Bortoleto.
Verstappen splits the two Mercedes, 0.526 behind Hamilton.
Russell puts in a 1:32.323, but Antonelli goes slightly quicker then Hamilton lands a 1:31.766.
Q2 under way. Russell still going, despite the fact he can’t improve his position. All educational for Mercedes.
It’s often hard to know what to make of Q1 for the leading teams, but this was pretty clearcut. Ferrari have 1st and 2nd, so will be really pleased; McLaren 3rd and 5th, which is decent; Red Bull 8th and 22nd, which is not what was planned; and Mercedes 12th and 13th, which is fairly terrible.
