It’s the Singapore front row so many wanted to see. A resurgent world champion, back firmly in contention, with his arch rival on pole. So that’s McLaren’s Lando Norris P1 and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen P2 for the start of Sunday’s Grand Prix around Marina Bay.
The Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell start an encouraging third and fourth, while Oscar Piastri is a disappointed fifth on the grid after the Australian failed to find the pace in his McLaren that team mate Norris so spectacularly extracted.
REPORT: Norris beats Verstappen to pole for Singapore GP after Sainz crashes out
No disappointment in P6, however, with Nico Hulkenberg’s superb Q3 effort for Haas putting him in P6 ahead of double world champion Fernando Alonso in the Aston Martin and the RB machine of Yuki Tsunoda.
What of Ferrari you ask? The scarlet cars of Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz complete the top ten, the former having had his best qualifying lap deleted for exceeding track limits, and the latter having crashed out of Q3 without setting a time.
Just outside the top half, look out for Williams targeting another double points score, as Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto start 11th and 12th. And what can Sergio Perez do in the sister Red Bull? The Mexican lines up an unlucky 13th after a ‘nightmare’ Singapore qualifying.