Max starts race in Singapore from P2: 'To be second is unbelievable'

Published on 15 September 2018 by Raymond Snip

Max Verstappen will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the front row. During the exciting qualifying session at the Marina Bay Circuit Park in Singapore, the quick Dutchman drove to a solid second fastest time. Lewis Hamilton took pole position for Mercedes while Sebastian Vettel qualified third in his Ferrari, Max’ team mate Daniel Ricciardo finished qualifying in sixth place.

“Honestly this feels like a victory”, let Max know after qualifying. “The amount of problems I’ve had today, even in qualifying, with the engine, to be second is unbelievable. It shows that we have an amazing car.”

Looking ahead to the race, Max continues: “We just have to make sure that we have a clean start and then from there everything is possible. We do have to sort out the engine for tomorrow… at least I’m very happy with the car.”

At the beginning of Q1 it takes a while before any cars show up on track. Romain Grosjean and his team mate Kevin Magnussen are the first to break the silence. Mercedes, Red Bull Racing and Renault wait the longest with sending their drivers out. Except Mercedes, everyone is out on the hypersoft tyres. Max goes out as one of the last drivers and puts his RB14 after his first run on P3 behind Daniel Ricciardo and Kimi Raikkonen.

After the first run, both Williams drivers, Marcus Ericsson, Brendon Hartley and Stoffel Vandoorne are in the relegation zone. All drivers behind Max, who is fifth, go out for a second run. For a while it is getting tense for Lewis Hamilton when he drops to 14th place, but he manages to move on. After Q1, Magnussen, Hartley, Vandoorne, Sergey Sirotkin and Lance Stroll are eliminated.

Raikkonen and Hülkenberg open Q2. Both Mercedes and both Ferrari’s follow suit. Also both Red Bulls appear on track a short while after. The Ferrari’s are both on ultrasofts, the rest is on hypersofts. They are trying to start the race with a different strategy. Max sets a purple time in the second sector and puts himself on P1, in front of his team mate. The ultras on the Ferrari’s are not quick enough, as the tenth quickest time for Vettel shows, Raikkonen returns to the pits without setting a time. Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc scrapes the wall during his first run and is therefore in the relegation He is accompanied by Grosjean, Ericsson, Gasly and Raikkonen.

Both Ferrari’s go out once more, but this time on a set of hypersofts. Only the Red Bulls don’t make a second run. Raikkonen takes P1 away from Max and after the curtains close, Fernando Alonso, Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, Ericsson and Gasly are eliminated.

Esteban Ocon starts the race for pole in Q3. He has Hamilton’s Mercedes in his tracks. Everyone else, except for Grosjean comes out right behind. The Frenchman will likely only make one run. After the first run it is Hamilton on P1 and in 3 tenth of a second from the World Champion it’s Max surprisingly on P2. The Dutchman managed to squeeze every drop of power out of his RB14 and is able to stay in front of Vettel who is unable to get beyond P3.

While everyone else is in the garage, Grosjean begins his run. The Haas driver places his car in seventh spot and is done for the day. Both Mercedes go out on track to start their second run, while Max goes out last. Raikkonen passes the checkered flag first but stays fifth, Hamilton terminates his run after a mistake but keeps pole. Max too does not improve and finishes second. Maybe better than he expected.

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Results qualifying Singapore: