Verstappen Wins Singapore Sprint and Seizes Pole as Russell Crashes Out and Hadjar Retires
Max Verstappen delivered a near-flawless day at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, winning the Singapore Sprint and then claiming pole position for the Grand Prix, while his rivals endured a far more turbulent Saturday that included a George Russell crash and another reliability nightmare for Isack Hadjar.
Red Bull: One win, one nightmare
Verstappen was picked off at the start of the Sprint by Russell but regained the lead when his rival crashed out. From there he was never under any real pressure, recording his first win of any kind in Singapore. The Dutchman carried that form into Qualifying, where he set a 1:31.373 to secure pole and set his sights on a clean sweep of Sprint and Grand Prix victories.
“It’s been a really positive weekend so far. The car has been in a good window from the start and it was great to get a win in the Sprint, but a strong Qualifying has always been the priority as this is a track where overtaking is difficult,” Verstappen said.
“We’ve been building momentum the last few races, so it’s great to come to a circuit where we’ve struggled in the past and be competitive. Qualifying was really close throughout, but we built up nicely and managed to put it in first when it mattered. We’ve done everything right up until now, but the most important thing tomorrow will be getting a clean start.”
The good news for Red Bull was tempered by Hadjar’s misfortune. He was forced to retire early in the Sprint with an apparent power unit issue, then struggled with reliability problems in Q1 — stopping out on track, getting going again, and ultimately failing to set a lap time as he exited at the first stage in 22nd.
“It’s not been my weekend so far. We had the engine issue in the Sprint, I just didn’t have power at the start so lost a few places,” Hadjar said. “We had Qualifying in mind for later, so we didn’t risk anything and retired the car. The Team did an amazing job repairing the car in time, and a big thank you to them because they did everything to get me back out there.
“Qualifying didn’t go my way either. As soon as I went out, I couldn’t go through the gears. I really wanted to put a lap in, so we brought the car back in and went out again to try, but we just couldn’t. We’ll look at what we need to change overnight, as tomorrow is a new day.”
Team Principal Laurent Mekies praised Verstappen’s milestone of 50 career poles and said the car had now been quickest in three consecutive Qualifying sessions. He also apologised to Hadjar, revealing the team had encountered a gearbox problem still under investigation.
“Max has been extremely strong throughout the weekend. He took Pole and victory in the Sprint in tricky conditions and delivered another stunning performance this evening,” Mekies said. “Having said that, tomorrow will present a different challenge. We know Qualifying is particularly important at this circuit and today was another encouraging step in preparing for the race, but the start and the first stint will be critical.”
Ferrari: A double threat at the front
Lewis Hamilton produced an incredible start in the Sprint, rising from sixth to third off the line and then up to second to run right behind his old foe Verstappen. He could not find a way past the Dutchman but dropped his team mate as the dash continued, the front two in a class of their own.
Charles Leclerc ran third but struggled to keep life in his tyres. Ferrari’s strong form continued into Qualifying, with Hamilton looking the pick of the bunch in Q1 and Q2 before some car tweaks left him with several snaps and lost pace in Q3. Leclerc’s last lap was stronger, the pair separated by just 0.069s as Leclerc took second ahead of Hamilton in third.
“My last lap was a good one, after I didn’t have the best feeling in the car in Q1 and Q2. I think there was potential for us to be on pole, but at the end of the day, Max was just a step ahead,” Leclerc said. “As for the Sprint, I was managing at the beginning but things became more tough as the race went on. I couldn’t rotate the car properly which in turn wore my tyres out.”
Hamilton added: “A double podium in the Sprint and a competitive qualifying session for both cars puts us in a good position tomorrow. We’ve shown we have a strong package, and having both drivers near the front gives us a real opportunity to work together tomorrow.”
Team Principal Fred Vasseur said Ferrari would look at every detail overnight. “With both cars at the front, we have the opportunity to put pressure on Max ahead and fight for the best possible result as a team,” he said.
Mercedes: Russell pays the price
Russell got a great start in wet conditions, picking off Verstappen to grab the lead in the Sprint, but his first lap went sideways when he ran wide out of the last corner onto the slippery kerbs, lost the rear and spun into the wall.
“First of all, I want to say a big thank you to the team for all of their hard work today to rebuild my car after the crash in the Sprint,” Russell said. “It was a silly mistake on my side, running wide at the final corner, getting on the white line and losing traction. I misjudged it so that’s on me.”
Kimi Antonelli avoided his team mate and ran sixth, keeping out of trouble until a late intra-team collision at McLaren promoted him to fourth — a result that extended his championship lead to 89 points.
In Qualifying the team did well to rebuild Russell’s car in time for Q1. He took part fully in the segments despite knowing a grid drop was coming, primarily to check the rebuild was correct but also to gather data on the different spec cars the team are running. Both Mercedes made the top 10 but lacked the pace to fight for the front row, Russell ending the session sixth on a 1:31.747.