Red Bull dominates Singapore Grand Prix qualifying as Mercedes shows progress

Max Verstappen claimed pole for the Singapore Grand Prix, putting him one start away from ending his winless streak at the Marina Bay circuit. The Red Bull driver said there are "no excuses" for his poor start in the sprint, noting that the team's sister squad has achieved better launches with the same equipment.

Mercedes showed progress as Kimi Antonelli narrowed the gap to pole from 0.7 to 0.2 seconds after a major set-up change following the sprint. Antonelli said the new configuration reduced oversteer and improved confidence under braking, and he suggested the team fit both drivers with the upgrade for the next race in Austin. teammate George Russell described the result as positive but said the team is still "not satisfied" with the package and needs more time to optimise the set-up.

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc qualified second after a strong final lap, despite earlier tyre wear and handling issues. He indicated he was still not fully satisfied with the car but praised the performance. Lewis Hamilton finished third, a result he described as disappointing after earlier confidence in his qualifying runs.

Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Lance Stroll qualified 17th and 19th respectively, hindered by a turbo problem and the circuit’s bumpy surface, which the team said did not suit their current package.

Red Bull’s other driver, Isack Hadjar, ended the session in 22nd after a gearbox failure broke fourth gear, prompting criticism of the sprint format and race calendar.

Alpine’s Pierre Gasly secured eighth place, calling it one of his best Q3 performances of the year and hoping it will translate into points. His teammate Franco Colapinto, however, qualified 16th after a crash and reported a loss of rear-end grip.

Williams driver Alex Albon finished 18th, slower than teammate Carlos Sainz, with team principal James Vowles noting Albon’s discomfort after repairs following the sprint incident.