Norris pips Verstappen to dramatic Singapore pole after Sainz crash

McLaren’s Lando Norris beat Red Bull’s Max Verstappen to pole position Saturday for the Singapore Grand Prix in a dramatic qualifying session red-flagged when Carlos Sainz crashed.

Norris’s lap of 1min 30.002sec was 0.155sec quicker than Verstappen. Lewis Hamilton was third ahead of Mercedes teammate George Russell.

“It was good enough for pole and I’m happy with that, especially here in Singapore,” said Norris, who is aiming to close a 59-point deficit to Verstappen in the drivers’ championship.

“A good feeling. I’ve felt good all weekend, I’ve felt confident, maybe not so much in qualy but we got the job done,” added the Englishman.

But it was a disastrous Q3 for Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Sainz, the winner in Singapore 12 months ago, who will start down in ninth and 10th on the grid.

Sainz’s back end snapped out on the final bend sending him spinning into the barriers and halting Q3 with just over eight minutes remaining, leaving most drivers just one shot at a qualifying lap.

Leclerc then had his only lap time deleted for breaching track limits at turn two.

Verstappen had only been 15th fastest in practice on Friday, so the Dutchman was pleased to be alongside his main title rival at the head of the grid.

“I’m happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday,” said Verstappen.

“Tomorrow is a bit difficult to say, in Singapore a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it like this.”

Hamilton had also struggled in practice but managed to put a great lap together when it mattered.

“Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long and I’ve been working, working and working trying to get myself back up there,” said seven-time world champion Hamilton.

“All of a sudden the car came alive for the first time in qualifying in a long time.

“I hope we’re in a good position to fight for the front tomorrow.”

McLaren’s Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas will start alongside him on the third row.

Fernando Alonso was seventh in an Aston Martin, with Yuki Tsunoda eighth in the RB.

Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez failed to make it to the shootout for pole position and will start from 13th on the grid.

Along with Perez, the other drivers who failed to get out of Q2 were the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen in a Haas and Esteban Ocon (Alpine). 

Daniel Ricciardo — who is rumoured to be driving in F1 for the last time for RB — was in the bottom five who were earlier eliminated in Q1.

Also failing to make it to Q2 were Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, Pierre Gasly in an Alpine and the Sauber pair of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.