Hamilton targets Verstappen with Ferrari's two-versus-one edge after Singapore qualifying

Lewis Hamilton will start Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix from third on the grid after rear instability derailed his final runs in Q3 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, leaving him 0.123 seconds behind pole-sitter Max Verstappen. Charles Leclerc lines up second, just 0.054s off Verstappen’s pace, giving Ferrari both cars on the front two rows.

Hamilton was candid about his frustration after the session, explaining that the SF-26 felt well-balanced through Q1 and Q2 before track evolution pushed the car beyond its narrow operating window in the decisive shootout.

“Q1 and Q2 were awesome. We got to Q3 and snaps into one and three, put me two tenths down. The rest of the lap was good. And then the last lap, just again struggled with snapping,” Hamilton said. “So I think there’s a real fine line with our car where it’s over the edge or under the limit, and finding that sweet spot is very, very difficult.”

Despite the setup headache, Ferrari enters Sunday’s race with a significant tactical edge. Red Bull’s second driver, Isack Hadjar, suffered mechanical issues in Q3 and failed to set a lap time, leaving Verstappen without a team-mate in the leading pack. That two-versus-one dynamic sits at the heart of Ferrari’s race strategy.

“I think it’s really still a good result for us to have two Ferraris up there. We could definitely, hopefully, work as a team tomorrow to try and hold on to Max and put them under pressure,” Hamilton said. “I’m sure he’s going to be fast, but hopefully together as a team, we can potentially — who knows — we’ll see if we can get ahead of them.”

The Marina Bay circuit’s tight, unforgiving layout has historically rewarded clean starts and strategic pit-stop timing over raw pace, which may amplify Ferrari’s numerical advantage if Leclerc and Hamilton can keep Verstappen boxed in during the early laps. Whether the SF-26’s setup fragility resurfaces under race conditions remains the key question for the Maranello squad.