Max fastest in Singapore qualifying: 'It's very special to take pole here'

Published on 10 October 2026 by Misha van der Kroon

Max Verstappen has secured pole position for tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton initially looked to be his biggest rival in Q3, but Charles Leclerc eventually managed to go faster than his Ferrari teammate. However, the Monegasque fell five hundredths of a second short of Max, who secured his 50th pole position in Formula 1. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, ahead of Lando Norris in P5.

“Of course, I’m very happy with pole position, because this was the one I wanted,” Verstappen said afterwards. “It was very close. I think the margins were small throughout all of qualifying.” Max has felt comfortable in the car all weekend, although the Dutchman believes there is always room for improvement. “The car has been pretty strong all weekend. Of course, there are always things that you look into that can be better. But it was enough for pole, so I’m very happy with that.”

The pole position is particularly special for Max. Singapore is a circuit where Red Bull have not always been able to perform at their best in the past. According to the Dutch driver, the change in regulations has played a role. “With the new regulations, our car works a little differently compared to the previous rules, when we were stronger in different areas of a corner,” Max explains. “But we’re happy to take this result. We’re on a positive trend, so it’s for us very special to take pole position here.”

Qualifying in Singapore starts half an hour later than scheduled. As soon as the lights turn green, the streets are immediately busy with cars. Esteban Ocon and Lance Stroll both lock up under braking on their first attempts, but are able to continue. Isack Hadjar is not so fortunate. The Frenchman suffers from engine problems and crawls back to the pits. When he returns to the track, he reports that the gears are not working. His qualifying session is over.

Max sets an initial time of 1:32.241 on a used set of soft tyres. The track continues to improve, and his time is soon beaten by Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Nico Hulkenberg and Liam Lawson also manage to go faster. Kimi Antonelli is quicker as well, but his lap time is deleted for exceeding track limits. His next attempt is enough to secure his place in Q2. Max does not return to the track during the remainder of Q1, and his time proves sufficient to advance to the second part of qualifying. Fernando Alonso, Alexander Albon, Lance Stroll, Sergio Perez, Valtteri Bottas and Hadjar are eliminated.

Max opens Q2 with a 1:32.165, putting him four tenths off Lewis Hamilton’s time. The Dutchman complains about problems with the gear changes but is able to continue. Hamilton subsequently improves his time to 1:31.529. Max also finds more pace, setting a 1:31.639 to finish just one tenth off the fastest time. Mercedes are yet to feature at the front, with Kimi Antonelli in fifth and George Russell in P6. Nico Hülkenberg, Oliver Bearman, Esteban Ocon, Carlos Sainz, Gabriel Bortoleto and Franco Colapinto are eliminated after Q2. Colapinto also brushes the wall during his final attempt.

Max’s first time in Q3 is a 1:31.373, putting him at the top of the timesheets. Neither Leclerc nor Hamilton can improve on it. Hamilton is just one tenth behind despite making a small mistake on his lap, suggesting there is still room for improvement. Mercedes, meanwhile, are unable to challenge for the top positions. With two minutes remaining, Max heads out for his final attempt. Leclerc manages to improve his time, moving ahead of teammate Hamilton, but falls just short, with the Ferrari driver just five-hundredths of a second behind Max. McLaren are also unable to beat the Dutchman’s time. Max therefore secures his second consecutive pole position. In Singapore, the Dutchman also reaches a significant milestone, claiming his 50th pole position in Formula 1.

Results qualifying Singapore: