Max Verstappen secured the first Singapore Grand Prix pole position of his career, holding off Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton in a tightly contested qualifying session. After winning Saturday’s Sprint, the Red Bull driver maintained his momentum at Marina Bay with another decisive performance over a single lap.
What To Know?
- Verstappen takes his first Singapore GP pole: His opening Q3 lap of 1:31.373 held off Leclerc by just 0.054s.
- Hamilton’s early pace yields third: After leading Q1 and Q2, he finished on 1:31.496 behind Ferrari team-mate Leclerc.
- Antonelli fourth, Russell awaits his penalty: The championship leader beat Norris to fourth, while Russell qualified sixth before his grid drop.
- Contrasting fortunes across the field: Both Racing Bulls reached Q3, both Aston Martins exited in Q1, and Hadjar finished last without a representative lap.
His opening Q3 effort of 1m 31.373s proved enough to settle the fight at the front. Leclerc came within 0.054s, but neither Ferrari driver could dislodge Verstappen, who earned the leading starting position for Sunday’s latest round of the 2026 F1 World Championship.
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For much of the qualifying hour, Hamilton had looked the strongest candidate for pole. The seven-time champion set the pace in both Q1 and Q2, putting Ferrari firmly in contention before the final segment.
2026 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying Results
2026 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying, 10 October 2026
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing | 1:33.241 | 1:31.639 | 1:31.373 | 15 |
| 2 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:32.774 | 1:31.953 | 1:31.427 | 25 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1:32.429 | 1:31.529 | 1:31.496 | 25 |
| 4 | 12 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1:33.601 | 1:32.079 | 1:31.562 | 23 |
| 5 | 1 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:32.775 | 1:31.895 | 1:31.712 | 24 |
| 6 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:33.617 | 1:32.212 | 1:31.747 | 23 |
| 7 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:33.076 | 1:32.245 | 1:31.860 | 22 |
| 8 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:33.182 | 1:32.602 | 1:32.225 | 22 |
| 9 | 30 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1:32.885 | 1:32.319 | 1:32.369 | 21 |
| 10 | 41 | Arvid Lindblad | Racing Bulls | 1:33.288 | 1:32.498 | 1:32.781 | 21 |
| 11 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Audi | 1:33.147 | 1:32.784 | 19 | |
| 12 | 87 | Oliver Bearman | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.356 | 1:32.908 | 12 | |
| 13 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Haas F1 Team | 1:33.803 | 1:33.323 | 15 | |
| 14 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1:33.774 | 1:33.526 | 15 | |
| 15 | 5 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Audi | 1:34.169 | 1:33.658 | 19 | |
| 16 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1:33.261 | 1:33.787 | 14 | |
| 17 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:34.223 | 9 | ||
| 18 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams | 1:34.289 | 10 | ||
| 19 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:34.946 | 8 | ||
| 20 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Cadillac | 1:35.123 | 8 | ||
| 21 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Cadillac | 1:35.984 | 10 | ||
| RT | 6 | Isack Hadjar | Red Bull Racing | 3 |
Q3 changed the picture. Verstappen delivered the benchmark on his first attempt, while Hamilton, like several rivals, failed to improve on his final run. He finished third with 1m 31.496s, behind Leclerc’s 1m 31.427s, leaving Ferrari with two cars in the top three but without pole.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth for Mercedes on 1m 31.562s, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris, who recorded 1m 31.712s. George Russell initially took sixth in the second Mercedes, although his incoming grid penalty means that position will not translate into his Sunday starting slot.
Oscar Piastri recovered from his collision with Norris during the Sprint to qualify seventh. The Australian finished ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly, with Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad completing the top 10 in a strong qualifying result for Racing Bulls.
Outside the final segment, Nico Hulkenberg was the closest to making the cut, finishing 11th for Audi. Haas team-mates Ollie Bearman and Esteban Ocon followed in 12th and 13th respectively, ahead of Carlos Sainz, who placed his Williams 14th.
Gabriel Bortoleto qualified 15th in the second Audi. Franco Colapinto completed the group eliminated in Q2 after hitting the barrier on his final lap, ending the Alpine driver’s attempt to secure a place in the pole-position shootout.
Aston Martin’s expectations of a promising Singapore weekend did not translate into qualifying progress. Both drivers were eliminated in Q1, with Fernando Alonso’s untidy final lap leaving him outside the second segment.
Alonso nevertheless finished ahead of Williams driver Alex Albon and Aston Martin team-mate Lance Stroll. Cadillac’s Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas followed in 20th and 21st respectively.
At the bottom of the classification, Isack Hadjar endured another difficult session for Red Bull. Having already retired from the Sprint, he suffered further reliability problems and could not complete a representative lap, leaving him last.
Russell’s penalty will promote every driver classified behind him by one position once applied. At the front, however, Verstappen had secured pole on pace, narrowly denying Ferrari after Hamilton had led the opening two stages.
Race Guide
Season: 2026 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 11 October 2026
Race start time: 20:00 local time
Circuit: Marina Bay Street Circuit
Laps: 62
Circuit length: 4.94km
2025 winner: George Russell
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