Verstappen Secures Pole in Singapore with Leclerc on His Heels
Max Verstappen outpaced Charles Leclerc to claim pole position during the Singapore Grand Prix qualifying. Lewis Hamilton and Kimi Antonelli rounded out the top four in a competitive session.
Under the dazzling lights of the Marina Bay street circuit, Max Verstappen snatched pole position for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix. The Red Bull driver clocked a blistering 1:31.373, just edging out Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who posted a time of 1:31.427.
Leclerc's Ferrari stablemate, Lewis Hamilton, wasn't far behind, securing third with a time of 1:31.496. Kimi Antonelli, who leads the championship for Mercedes, will start from fourth, adding some extra spice to the front of the grid.
Reigning world champion Lando Norris will line up fifth for McLaren, while George Russell managed a sixth-place finish in qualifying for Mercedes. Despite his strong performance, Russell will face the challenge of starting from the back due to a penalty for a new part change.
Oscar Piastri, in the second McLaren, took seventh, and Alpine's Pierre Gasly claimed eighth. Racing Bulls' drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top ten.
There was some misfortune for Red Bull's Isack Hadjar, who was unable to set a qualifying time due to engine troubles, leaving him at the back of the field.
Here's a quick glance at the Singapore Grand Prix 2026 qualifying results:
| Pos | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:33.241 | 1:31.639 | 1:31.373 | | 2 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.774 | 1:31.953 | 1:31.427 | | 3 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32.429 | 1:31.529 | 1:31.496 | | 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.601 | 1:32.079 | 1:31.562 | | 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.775 | 1:31.895 | 1:31.712 | | 6 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:33.617 | 1:32.212 | 1:31.747 | | 7 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:33.076 | 1:32.245 | 1:31.860 | | 8 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:33.182 | 1:32.602 | 1:32.225 | | 9 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:32.885 | 1:32.319 | 1:32.369 | | 10 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:33.288 | 1:32.498 | 1:32.781 |
Further down, Audi's Nico Hulkenberg and Haas' Oliver Bearman missed out on Q3, finishing 11th and 12th respectively. Meanwhile, veterans like Fernando Alonso and Sergio Perez found themselves languishing towards the back, with Perez's Cadillac teammate Valtteri Bottas only just avoiding last place. All eyes will be on the race to see who can capitalize on their qualifying positions.