George Russell stormed to a scintillating pole position for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, as McLaren once again failed to make the front row of the grid.
The Brit was on his A game in the final part of qualifying, taking top spot by a 1:29.158s, almost two tenths ahead of Max Verstappen in second.
Oscar Piastri could only manage third, with Lando Norris fifth, leaving the papaya squad feeling jittery about the prospect of Verstappen behind ahead once again.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli secured double interest for Mercedes with an impressive fourth place, the German marque conquering the Marina Bay Circuit in impressive fashion.
Q1 began with Leclerc setting an early benchmark of a 1:30.940s, but Hadjar and Norris quickly leapfrogged him. Hamilton was on course to set a banker lap himself but abandoned his first lap, as did Piastri.
Hamilton was able to set a good lap once he was back out, but Verstappen was quickest, before being taken by Isack Hadjar, who clocked in a 1:30.214s.
Piastri hadn’t set a lap with only six minutes to go, but went sixth, but with many still yet to show their full potential, it was not the safest of places.
Norris then went quickest, getting into the 1:29.000s, only just. Antonelli set a really impressive time, getting in a tenth behind Norris.
Hamilton went into first with a minute to go, a 1:29.765s, with Russell popping up into second, emphasising the momentous track evolution.
Yuki Tsunoda was rock bottom by the time of the chequered flag, but his last run put him 10th and safe. Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly were all out, the latter suffering with a technical gremlin preventing him to make a significant attempt to get out of the danger zone.
Q2 was delayed as Gasly’s car removed from the area, with anomalies of many laptimes arising amid the yellow flag that came out when Gasly’s car pulled off the circuit.
Antonelli sets blistering pace as both Williams are knocked out
Eventually the second part of qualifying got underway with Verstappen’s 1:29.747s the first to be banked.
Antonelli went into second, less than a tenth off Verstappen, with Norris third and Hadjar fourth. Antonelli’s lap was subsequently deleted, and Piastri popped up into second place.
Hamilton went into third, with Leclerc still yet to set a fast time. But he did so with just under eight minutes left, but with seven tenths down, was in the danger zone.
Antonelli was still yet to set another lap after his previous one’s deletion, and with four minutes to go, the Italian was under pressure.
But there was no indication of pressure, a 1:29.649s putting him top. Team-mate Russell displaced him, with Verstappen going into second, but the rookie’s place in Q3 was safe.
With everyone on fresh tyres, it was now or never for everyone, with Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, Tsunoda among those who were unsafe, as Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso and Oliver Bearman also teetered into danger.
Leclerc went sixth at the very last which pushed Nico Hulkenberg down and out, with both Williams, Liam Lawson and Tsunoda joining him.
Russell uses every inch of the circuit to take pole
Q3 began with pole looking like it could be anybody’s, as McLaren’s one-lap pace was really left wanting across the whole of qualifying up until that point.
Russell was millimetres away from disaster when his Mercedes touched the wall towards the end of the lap, but his 1:29.165 still the quickest time of the day. Antonelli went second, over three tenths behind.
Norris’ first flying lap was only four tenths off Russell, as Leclerc was sixth tenths off. Hamilton was five tenths down, as Piastri went second, but still with a big gap.
Verstappen breezed through the end of his lap but could only muster a lap just under two tenths off Russell.
With tyres changed and everyone ready to go back out, it still felt that pole was up for grabs by a number of different cars, but Mercedes were currently holding a surprising ascendancy, the W16 usually uncompetitive under such hot weather.
Norris was down on his personal best in Sector 1 but improved during the lap, but could only stay fifth.
Russell started his last run as Leclerc couldn’t better his previous time. Russell bettered his own time by seven thousandths of a second, as Antonelli stayed fourth.
Hamilton went sixth, with all eyes now on Verstappen. But with the lap coming to a close, he backed off, knowing he was unable to make good on it, leaving Russell on pole.
Verstappen could consolidate second, with Piastri third and Antonelli fourth. Replays would later show that Verstappen backed off due to by slightly baulked by a slowing Norris towards the end of the lap.
Behind Norris, Hamilton and Leclerc, Hadjar would take eighth, with Bearman ninth and Alonso 10th.
READ MORE – F1 2025 Singapore Grand Prix – Qualifying Results
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