Max Verstappen just snagged his second pole position in a week, putting down a blazing lap at the Singapore Grand Prix that left everyone else scrambling. Red Bull’s main man held off Charles Leclerc by a tiny 0.054 seconds, cementing his spot at the front of the grid after an intense qualifying session.
Verstappen’s Vibe: Unstoppable Force in Singapore
Seriously, this guy is on fire. Verstappen’s first lap in final qualifying was so good, it was all he needed. Leclerc tried to get him on his second run but just couldn’t close that microscopic gap. Verstappen didn’t even improve on his second go, which tells you how dialed in that first one was. This comes hot off his and Red Bull’s first win of the season in Bahrain, and he’s just kept that momentum rolling. He won the sprint race earlier on Saturday, too, after George Russell had a rough crash from the lead. What a weekend! The four-time champion has simply looked like the guy to beat here.
Verstappen summed it up perfectly: “This was the one I really wanted. The car has been really strong all weekend. We have been on a really on a positive trend and it’s really special to take the pole here.” You can just feel that confidence radiating off him.
Close Calls and Car Troubles for the Challengers
It wasn’t for lack of trying from the Ferraris and Mercedes, though. Lewis Hamilton was right there with Verstappen after the first runs, but he couldn’t find that extra pace on his second attempt. He actually finished second to Verstappen in the sprint race, so he definitely had the speed at points. Hamilton talked about the car feeling better and feeling like she had more in her, but Q1 and Q2 were his shining moments. When it came to Q3, he hit some “snaps through One and Three” on his first lap and too many “snaps” on his second. He felt it was a “really fine line” with their car, and he “didn’t get it quite right today.” You gotta feel for him, being so close but not quite hitting that sweet spot when it counted.
Leclerc, who was so incredibly close to pole, felt it was totally on the cards if he hadn’t made “a few small mistakes” on his final lap. He struggled with “weird struggles under braking” in Q1 and Q2, but thought his Q3 lap was “OK” despite the mistakes. His honest take? “I think there was a potential to be on pole today but Max just did a better job.” That’s the sign of a competitor who knows what he almost had. Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes secured fourth, and Lando Norris from McLaren took fifth. George Russell, also from Mercedes, was sixth fastest, but he’s dropping to the back of the grid because of a penalty for using too many engine parts. Oscar Piastri from McLaren managed to improve on his second run but still only got seventh. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, and the Racing Bulls duo of Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad rounded out the top 10.
Tomorrow is the big one, folks! The Singapore Grand Prix kicks off on Sunday, October 11, at 13:00 BST. Verstappen is on a ridiculous positive trend, and he’s got to be the favorite to take the checkered flag. Can anyone stop him from extending this incredible run? We’ll be watching to see if Leclerc or Hamilton can make a move.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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