Max Verstappen took pole for the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint as Red Bull continued its improved form at Marina Bay.
The Dutchman produced a 1:31.156 in SQ3 to beat George Russell by 0.120 seconds, with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari.
But the final order was only part of an eventful session. Mercedes’ experiment with two versions of its car produced an intriguing result, championship leader Kimi Antonelli struggled, and an FIA error affected the opening part of qualifying.
Here are five of the main stories from Sprint Qualifying in Singapore.
Verstappen’s Red Bull improvement continues
Red Bull’s victory in Malaysia was the first sign of a breakthrough. Its pace in Singapore suggests that result was not simply about one circuit suiting the car.
Verstappen finished only sixth in practice, although his quickest lap was set on medium tyres while the five drivers ahead of him used softs.
Once the soft tyres went on in SQ3, he was quickest. His 1:31.156 put him 0.120secs ahead of Russell and 0.376secs clear of Leclerc. It gives Verstappen and Red Bull another opportunity to turn their recent improvement into points in Saturday’s Sprint.
The full classification is available in Formula 1’s Singapore weekend results.
Russell gives Mercedes more evidence on old specification
Mercedes’ decision to split its car specifications is already producing useful data. Russell reverted to the team’s previous aerodynamic package for Singapore, while Antonelli remained with the upgrade introduced at Sepang.
Mercedes made the change because it was not convinced the new package had delivered the expected improvement in Malaysia, giving it the chance to conduct a direct comparison between the two cars this weekend. Formula 1 explained Mercedes’ decision before the start of the Singapore weekend.
So far, Russell has had the better of that comparison. He topped the only practice session before qualifying second for the Sprint, while Antonelli could manage only seventh.
It does not prove that the upgrade has failed. Different set-ups, driver performance and track conditions all complicate a direct comparison. But Russell’s Friday has given Mercedes plenty to analyse.
Antonelli faces a difficult Sprint from seventh
Antonelli’s championship position means there is little immediate pressure on him, but seventh on the grid gives Russell an opportunity on Saturday. The Italian leads his Mercedes team-mate by 84 points after Russell’s retirement in Malaysia.
Russell will start the Sprint from the front row, five places ahead of Antonelli, with eight points available to the winner.
Antonelli had already acknowledged before the weekend that Mercedes was still trying to understand its new package and committed to running it throughout Singapore. He told Formula 1 before the weekend that the team hoped the direct comparison with Russell would help provide answers.
Saturday will now be about limiting Russell’s opportunity to reduce the championship gap.
Ferrari and McLaren are close enough to get involved
Verstappen and Russell have the front row, but they will not have much breathing space behind them. Leclerc starts third for Ferrari with Oscar Piastri fourth and Lando Norris fifth. Lewis Hamilton will line up sixth in the second Ferrari.
It puts four cars from Ferrari and McLaren between Russell and championship leader Antonelli. For Verstappen, it also means the opening laps are unlikely to be straightforward on a Marina Bay circuit where track position is particularly valuable.
The Sprint may only offer eight points for victory, but the grid has created several opportunities for the championship picture to shift before Grand Prix qualifying even begins.
FIA admits error after SQ1 red flag
The most concerning story of the session came away from the fight for pole. Sprint Qualifying was red-flagged during SQ1 after Sergio Perez damaged his Cadillac and debris was left on the circuit.
When the session resumed, Overtake Mode was not available to every driver. The FIA subsequently acknowledged that human error in Race Control had caused the problem.
The issue was separate from a timing-system problem that also affected SQ1. Overtake Mode provides drivers with additional electrical power under Formula 1’s 2026 regulations, meaning its inconsistent availability created an uneven situation during the final minutes of the session.
The FIA error will inevitably attract scrutiny, particularly because it occurred during a short qualifying format in which drivers have little time to recover from a compromised run.
For Red Bull, though, Friday ended with another indication that its season has changed direction. Verstappen followed victory in Malaysia with Sprint pole at a very different circuit, while Russell’s second place raises further questions for Mercedes as it compares its two aerodynamic packages.
And with Russell starting five places ahead of Antonelli, Saturday’s Sprint offers the championship challenger a rare opportunity to take points out of his team-mate.
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