)
Although Friday's qualifying session does not count as an official pole position in the record books, the Singapore Grand Prix weekend brought a milestone achievement for Max Verstappen. For the first time in his Formula 1 career, the Dutch driver topped a qualifying timesheet at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The strong performance underscored the stability of the RB22 through the slow-speed corners that dominate the circuit. Verstappen himself, however, was pleasantly surprised by the final outcome of the battle for top spot.
Verstappen clinched pole position for the sprint race with a 0.120-second margin over George Russell, while Charles Leclerc took third, 0.243 seconds adrift, edging ahead of both McLarens.
The dramatic conclusion to SQ3 also intrigued Pirelli's technical team, given the contrasting run plans among the front-runners. While Verstappen gambled on a single flying lap right at the death, his main rivals opted for alternative strategies.
Pirelli chief engineer Simone Berra broke down the strategic differences:
"In the decisive phase, we saw three completely different approaches from the top three. Verstappen went with a traditional out-lap, push lap, and in-lap sequence. Russell completed a flying lap, followed by two cool-down laps and a second push lap, while Leclerc chose a single cool-down lap between his two flying efforts. Thanks to low tyre degradation and rapid grip recovery, all three variants proved effective."
Red Bull's plan was to extract maximum grip from the soft tyres precisely when track evolution was at its peak, despite the dusty asphalt. However, Pirelli pointed out that the chosen run plan was not the only determining factor in the Dutchman's success.
According to Berra, the drivers' run plans came down to personal preference and confidence in the cockpit. Making multiple attempts allows drivers to bank a banker lap, relieving pressure, whereas a single-run strategy carries serious risks from potential yellow or red flags, as well as track limits infringements—which caught out the likes of Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly.
Team boss Laurent Mekies emphasised that the result provided a significant boost following a challenging opening practice session earlier in the day.
"It was a tough morning session for both cars, as dialling in the right balance over the bumps here is a major challenge. Max, Isack, and the engineering team did a tremendous job between practice and sprint qualifying to turn the car around. Claiming top spot shows just how tricky this circuit is proving for everyone, making this result all the more valuable ahead of the rest of the weekend," the French team principal noted.
Max Verstappen's Sprint Qualifying outing at the Singapore Grand Prix was defined by a high-stakes gamble to rely on just a single flying lap. Although the move secured him pole position, Pirelli telemetry reveals the challenge for the Red Bull driver was far more precarious than it appeared from the outside.
The Dutchman spent most of the final segment in the garage, only heading out onto the circuit with three minutes remaining on the clock. That left him time for just one timed effort on a fresh set of soft tyres. The high-risk strategy paid off, albeit by a razor-thin margin of just 0.081 seconds over Oscar Piastri.
A closer look at telemetry from Formula 1's official tyre supplier, Pirelli, reveals the severe hurdle the former world champion had to overcome. Preparing tyres optimally for a hot lap around the Marina Bay Street Circuit requires a measured out-lap to bring the compounds into their ideal operating window progressively. Verstappen's rushed warm-up meant his tyres were below optimal working temperatures at the start of his crucial run.
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
&format=webp)
&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)
,fit(112:112)&format=webp)