2025 Singapore GP Qualifying: Russell conquers Marina Bay with stunning pole

George Russell delivered a masterclass under the lights to take pole position for the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, topping a thrilling Qualifying session that saw the top five separated by less than half a second. The Mercedes driver produced two near-perfect laps around the Marina Bay Street Circuit, his final effort of 1m 29.158s sealing a second pole of the 2025 F1 World Championship, and his first since Canada in June, confirming Mercedes’ growing form as the campaign enters its decisive phase.

Having topped Q2 with authority, Russell carried that rhythm straight into Q3. His opening run, a 1m 29.165s, already looked like a lap for the ages, clipping the walls at multiple points as he threaded the W16 through Singapore’s narrow streets. But the Briton somehow found another seven thousandths on his second attempt to lock down pole. “That’s what I’m talking about!” came the shout over team radio as Russell parked his car on the grid slot marked P1.

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Max Verstappen once again pushed his Red Bull to the limit but had to settle for second, 0.182s adrift, venting his frustration over the radio after falling just short. McLaren’s Oscar Piastri backed up his strong practice form with third place on a 1m 29.524s, while Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli stunned with a career-best P4, only 0.013s off Piastri’s time. Lando Norris completed the top five in the second McLaren, leaving both papaya cars within striking distance for Sunday’s race.

Ferrari endured a more muted session, unable to challenge for the front row. Lewis Hamilton edged teammate Charles Leclerc to sixth by just over a tenth, Leclerc having earlier survived a Q2 scare that briefly saw him in the drop zone before recovering with a last-gasp lap.

Behind them, some of the night’s biggest stories came from the midfield. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar continued his sensational debut season with eighth place, marking his second consecutive Q3 appearance. Haas’s Ollie Bearman and Aston Martin veteran Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10, both extracting impressive pace from their cars on one of the most punishing tracks of the season.

Kick Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg narrowly missed the Q3 cut but led the second half of the grid in 11th, ahead of the Williams pair Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz. Liam Lawson recovered strongly from his FP2 and FP3 crashes to reach Q2, ultimately taking 14th for Racing Bulls, while Yuki Tsunoda’s difficult weekend continued as he settled for 15th.

Gabriel Bortoleto narrowly missed joining Hülkenberg in Q2, lining up 16th for Sauber, with Lance Stroll’s struggles persisting as the Canadian managed only 17th for Aston Martin. Alpine endured another tough outing, Franco Colapinto and Pierre Gasly taking 18th and 20th respectively — Gasly’s session ending prematurely when he stopped on track late in Q1. Between them was Esteban Ocon in 19th, capping off a disappointing evening for Haas.

With the Marina Bay circuit illuminated in spectacular fashion and the grid now set, all eyes turn to Sunday’s Grand Prix. Russell leads from Verstappen and Piastri at the front, while Antonelli’s breakout performance adds extra intrigue to a race already defined by heat, precision, and relentless pressure. As the 2025 F1 World Championship heads into its final stretch, Singapore has once again delivered a night of high drama — and a grid that promises fireworks when the lights go out.

2025 Singapore GP Qualifying Results

2025 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying, 4 October 2025

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	Q1	Q2	Q3	LAPS
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:29.928	1:29.562	1:29.158	18
2	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:30.028	1:29.572	1:29.340	18
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:30.313	1:29.813	1:29.524	20
4	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:30.036	1:29.649	1:29.537	17
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:29.932	1:29.809	1:29.586	20
6	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:29.765	1:29.936	1:29.688	20
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:30.370	1:29.914	1:29.784	22
8	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:30.214	1:30.016	1:29.846	19
9	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas	1:30.420	1:30.076	1:29.868	17
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:30.745	1:30.054	1:29.955	18
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:30.715	1:30.141		15
12	23	Alexander Albon	Williams	1:30.775	1:30.202		14
13	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams	1:30.640	1:30.235		14
14	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:30.681	1:30.320		14
15	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:30.574	1:30.353		12
16	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:30.820			8
17	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:30.949			9
18	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:30.982			9
19	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:30.989			6
20	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:31.261			8

Williams Disqualified After Singapore GP Qualifying

Williams’ qualifying performance in Singapore was overshadowed by a rules breach. Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, who placed 12th and 13th, went under investigation after post-session checks found both cars’ rear wings opened beyond the 85 mm DRS limit.

The FIA’s Jo Bauer confirmed the discovery in his report, stating both cars were not compliant with Article 3.10.10 g. of the technical regulations. As a result, the matter was referred to the stewards, with a hearing scheduled for 11:30 p.m. local time.

Once confirmed, the violation saw both Williams drivers disqualified from qualifying and forced to start from the back of the grid. The case mirrored Haas’s 2024 Monaco GP disqualification for an identical infraction.

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  Williams Disqualification After 2025 Singapore GP Qualifying

2025 Singapore Grand Prix Starting Grid

The Grand Prix starting grid, with or without penalties, after the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying session.

POS.	NO.	DRIVER	TEAM	TIME
1	63	George Russell	Mercedes	1:29.158
2	1	Max Verstappen	Red Bull Racing	1:29.340
3	81	Oscar Piastri	McLaren	1:29.524
4	12	Kimi Antonelli	Mercedes	1:29.537
5	4	Lando Norris	McLaren	1:29.586
6	44	Lewis Hamilton	Ferrari	1:29.688
7	16	Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	1:29.784
8	6	Isack Hadjar	Racing Bulls	1:29.846
9	87	Oliver Bearman	Haas	1:29.868
10	14	Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	1:29.955
11	27	Nico Hulkenberg	Kick Sauber	1:30.141
12	30	Liam Lawson	Racing Bulls	1:30.320
13	22	Yuki Tsunoda	Red Bull Racing	1:30.353
14	5	Gabriel Bortoleto	Kick Sauber	1:30.820
15	18	Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	1:30.949
16	43	Franco Colapinto	Alpine	1:30.982
17	31	Esteban Ocon	Haas	1:30.989
18	10	Pierre Gasly	Alpine	1:31.261
19	55	Carlos Sainz	Williams
20	23	Alexander Albon	Williams