Verstappen claims first-ever Singapore pole as championship leader Antonelli slumps to seventh

Max Verstappen claimed sprint pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday, setting a 1m32.724s to head George Russell on the front row at Marina Bay Street Circuit — the first time the Red Bull driver has topped any qualifying session at the venue.

It is Verstappen’s second consecutive qualifying session topped, and it came at the expense of championship leader Kimi Antonelli, who will start Saturday’s sprint race from seventh after being outpaced by the Ferraris and McLarens.

SQ1: Red flag chaos after Perez crash

The opening segment was disrupted almost immediately when Sergio Perez, driving for Cadillac, crashed into the Tecpro barrier at Turn 5 before a single competitive lap time had been set. Perez damaged and then lost his front wing on the racing line, prompting a red flag to clear the debris. With only six minutes remaining when racing resumed, teams scrambled to set times, with cars already queuing in the pitlane before the lights went green.

Verstappen eventually went fastest in 1m33.477s, leading Charles Leclerc by 0.018s and Russell by 0.096s, with Lewis Hamilton 0.271s further back. Nico Hulkenberg impressed for Audi in fifth, ahead of Isack Hadjar, Lando Norris, Oscar Piastri and Antonelli.

Eliminated at the first hurdle were Carlos Sainz — who complained of front locking and no rear grip — along with Alex Albon, Perez, Valtteri Bottas, Lance Stroll and, notably, Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad. Lindblad missed the cut by just one tenth, with his session further complicated by an FIA software glitch.

SQ2: Russell survives, Hadjar and Colapinto advance

Verstappen moved 0.75 seconds clear of his SQ1 benchmark on his first run in the second segment, only to be swiftly overhauled by Leclerc, Hamilton and Norris. Leclerc posted the segment’s quickest time of 1m32.457s, with Antonelli and Russell sitting six and nine tenths adrift respectively.

Russell’s second attempt was compromised by a lock-up into Turn 13, leaving him vulnerable. Improvements from Hadjar and Franco Colapinto ultimately pushed the eight-time grand prix winner out of the top ten, though Russell recovered sufficiently to advance. Gabriel Bortoleto, Fernando Alonso, Esteban Ocon and Oliver Bearman were among those eliminated.

SQ3: Verstappen seals pole, Antonelli fades

In the final segment, Verstappen converted his pace into pole, with Russell securing second. Antonelli, unable to match the Ferraris or McLarens across the session, will line up seventh for the sprint — a result that hands his title rivals an opportunity to close the gap before Sunday’s grand prix.