Charles Leclerc, known as Mister Poleman, claimed his ninetieth pole position of the season at the Singapore Grand Prix. The seventeenth round of the campaign takes place this Sunday, with championship leader Max Verstappen chasing a pivotal title moment. The Monégasque Ferrari driver delivered a commanding performance on Saturday, weathering a tense practice and a demanding qualifying that featured strong showings from Sainz and Alonso.
Verstappen could not match Leclerc’s pace through the session and ran out of fuel on his final hot lap attempt. Leclerc set the pace on a day when the track stayed demanding, the Red Bull team finishing 22 thousandths behind with Sergio Pérez taking second spot behind Leclerc. Lewis Hamilton also showed good pace, placing third and benefitting from a fresh tyre strategy. It has been a challenging season for the seven time champion with Mercedes facing persistent hurdles.
Carlos Sainz, who led practice on Friday, made two late mistakes and could not improve on his final attempt. He ended the session in fourth, just under two tenths behind Leclerc, ahead of Fernando Alonso who again impressed in an improved Alpine.
Q1: Even harder
If the Marina Bay circuit has long been regarded as one of the calendar’s most demanding tracks with its fast and tight sections and barriers close by, the rain in the hours before qualifying added extra pressure. The session took place on a dry surface but with residual moisture, prompting many drivers to start with caution.
Leclerc, who dominated third practice, continued to lead in qualifying while Sainz sat three positions behind Verstappen and Pérez. Hamilton shaved nearly a full second off Leclerc’s time, posting the fastest lap with a new set of tyres at 1.53.161.
Fernando Alonso faced a rough start but battled through to reach Q2 in ninth. Teammate Esteban Ocon was eliminated in the first phase, alongside Valtteri Bottas, Daniel Ricciardo and two Williams drivers, Albon and Latifi.
Q2: Russell, KO
As the track conditions improved, Leclerc and Verstappen intensified their preparations. Leclerc, who had a slight off while climbing the times, moved to the top with a 1.52.343. Verstappen showed speed in the early sector but faded in the second, finishing a fraction behind the pace late in the phase.
With five minutes remaining the teams weighed slick tyres against potential rain. The field games tested margins with Aston Martin drivers Stroll and Vettel, and Zhou in Alfa Romeo choosing different routes for the intermediate or soft compounds. The choice did not yield a Q3 slot for all three and the session closed with Mick Schumacher and George Russell making strong pushes. Hamilton ended in second for Mercedes, while Alonso and Sainz kept alive hopes for progress to the final phase.
S3: ninth pole for Leclerc
The pole battle began on soft tyres, save for Tsunoda and Magnussen who started on intermediates. Red Bull’s box urged Verstappen to preserve power for the final run as the circuit offered variable conditions that still favoured precision. Alonso led the session briefly with a 1.52.5, but Hamilton and Leclerc slipped ahead, with Hamilton posting 1.51.019 on a fresh set of tyres to take provisional top spot.
Verstappen brushed the wall on his penultimate attempt and finished three tenths behind Hamilton. The result saw Leclerc ahead of Pérez and the two Spaniards Sainz and Alonso on the grid. Verstappen had to abort his final lap after running out of fuel, leaving him to start eighth on Sunday.
Entering Singapore with a 116-point margin over Leclerc, Verstappen faces a tall order to seal the title early. A win would be enough only if Leclerc finishes eighth or worse, while other scenarios still require a combination of results. The unpredictable nature of F1 and the high risk track adds drama to the race day narrative.