F1 in Singapore, live today: Formula 1 qualifying at Marina Bay with Alonso, Sainz, Hamilton, Verstappen and Antonelli
Statements by Lewis Hamilton
“I had different problems in the last lap and I couldn’t do as well as in the first ones.”
“We are going to work to put pressure on Max. It will be quick, but I hope we can catch him.”
Leclerc, speaking
“Max has done a better job.”
“We didn’t get the decision right in Q2, our decision making could have been better.”
Verstappen
“It has been very tight, very close results throughout qualifying. I am very happy, the car has been going well all weekend.”
“Our car works differently than it did last year, a different behavior than last season.”
Verstappen’s second pole
It is the Dutchman’s second pole position and, furthermore, consecutively after the one achieved last week in Malaysia.
Verstappen repeats pole position in Singapore! | FINAL Q3
Max’s lap was enough and neither of the two Ferraris managed to surpass him, although Leclerc was 54 thousandths behind.
All out | 3:00 Q3
Cars outside. Everything ready for the last attempts.
Everyone in the pits | 5:40 Q3
All the cars are in the pits. In just a few moments, new wheels are flying.
Verstappen starts commanding | 7:30 Q3
Be careful with the Dutchman’s step forward. Hamilton, second, and Antonelli, third.
Q3 begins
As Antonio Lobato often says, ‘the real fire’. Who will take pole in Singapore?
Hamilton leads and Sainz, eliminated | FINAL Q2
Dominant Hamilton, who has given his rivals no option. Carlos Sainz has not had the option to move on to Q3 either.
Verstappen tightens | 1:20 Q2
Very good lap from the Dutchman, who is just over a tenth behind Hamilton after setting a 1:31.639.
Hamilton flies | 4:30 Q2
The Ferrari driver is flying and improving his previous time. Sainz, to come back.
Sainz, on fire | 8:00 Q2
It has not been a good first lap for the Madrid native, who with his 1:33. 526 is fourteenth.
Hamilton, first | 10:00 Q2
The Briton takes first after a great first lap and is almost four tenths ahead of Antonelli.
Q2 starts
Without Alonso, disappointing qualy, but with Carlos Sainz and a tremendous fight between the main drivers.
Alonso, eliminated! | FINAL Q1
Disappointment in the Aston Martin garage after the elimination of its two drivers. In Williams, the two sides of the coin; Sainz inside, but Albon outside. Pérez, Bottas and Hadjar are the others eliminated.
The two Ferraris lead the table.
Tight situation | 3:00 Q1
Not a comfortable situation for the Spanish and a fierce fight to escape the burning.
Hamilton, first | 4:45 Q1
Lewis Hamilton clocks 1:32. 680 which is the best time momentarily.
Norris sets the best time | 7:30 Q1
Landa is almost below 33, with a 1:33. 047, 29 thousandths better than his teammate Piastri.
Sainz, tenth, just ahead of Ferando Alonso.
Bearman, Pérez, Bottas, Gasly, Bortoleto and Hadjar (who was unable to do any laps) would be eliminated.
Verstappen takes first | 10:00 Q1
Once all the cars have done a lap, the Dutchman sets the current best time with 1:33.241.
Alonso, in mid-table; Sainz, seventh.
Stroll Scare | 14:30 Q1
Lance Stroll leaves the track, almost hitting the wall.
Meanwhile, Lawson sets the best time with 1:34.913; Alonso, second (+0:476).
Q1 begins!
Clock ticking and qualifying has already begun, first cars rolling.
This is the classification after this morning’s Sprint
After Verstappen’s victory and the retirements of Russell and Piastri, this is how the F1 World Championship driver classification has remained.
Last poleman in Singapore
2025 – George Russell (Mercedes)
2024 – Lando Norris (McLaren)
2023 – Carlos Sainz (Ferrari)
2022 – Charles Leclerc (Ferrari)
The favorites
George Russell was the fastest in Free Practice 1, whose best time was 1:32.274.
The Ferraris and the McLarens are very even, while Antonelli and Verstappen had more problems, although the Dutchman finally took pole and this morning won the Sprint.
Spanish options
Given the performance of the Williams and Aston Martin, the realistic goal of Carlos Sainz and Fernando Alonso must be to be in Q2. Reaching Q3 would be a great result.
Half hour late
We remember that qualifying was supposed to start at 3:00 p.m., but due to the delay caused by rain in the Sprint race, it will finally start half an hour later, at 3:30 p.m.
We’re back with the qualy!
Good afternoon! After a few hours of recovery, working with the engineers and gaining strength, the drivers begin to prepare to face the most decisive stretch of the weekend: qualifying and the race on Sunday.
Thanks for joining us!
This is the broadcast of the Singapore GP Sprint race. It has had everything: rain, accidents, abandonments, overtaking and Max Verstappen as the winner. We will meet again in a few hours for the long race classification, which will begin at 3:30 p.m.
Max Verstappen, Sprint winner
“The start was terrible once again. It’s something we have to improve. After what happened to Russell, I had to stay calm and in control. The important thing was to finish and win the Sprint, but I want to win tomorrow.”
“I want to win tomorrow. This is not a victory for me, it is not winning a Grand Prix. It will be a great battle.”
Lewis Hamilton, speaking
“I tried to get closer without destroying the tyres. I wasn’t going to be able to overtake because there was only one track and, when the tires overheated, I had to wait. It’s a difficult circuit to overtake.”
Charles Leclerc speaks
“I knew I had to get out of 5 very well because I was very weak in the left-hand corners and when I looked I saw that the McLarens were touching each other. In the end I didn’t have the rhythm.”
The start of qualifying will be delayed
Due to delays in the Sprint race due to rain, afternoon qualifying will also start later than the scheduled 3pm.
Bottom line
After 20 laps and two Safety Cars, this is how the Singapore GP Sprint race ended.
Max Verstappen wins the Sprint! | END
Despite the movement behind, a relatively calm race for Verstappen, ahead of the two Ferraris, Hamilton and Leclerc, respectively.
The McLarens aimed to be 4th and 5th, but they touched on the last lap, and Piastri went into the wall and Norris finally finished eighth.
The Spanish, coming back thanks to abandonments. Alonso, 11th, and Sainz, 12th.
The two McLarens touch | Return 20/20
They became parallel in turn 3 and collided in turn 4 with Noriis and Piastri, who was unable to resume the action. Norris has fallen to eighth place. The big beneficiary has been Antonelli, who has placed fourth.
The McLarens are approaching | Return 19/20
Piastri, Norris and Antonelli (Mercedes) are closing the gap on Charles Leclerc (third place), who is suffering with the tires.
Rushing the tires | Return 18/20
The drivers are doing a great job with the intermediate tire, which already has little rubber left.
Albon gets off | Lap 16/20
The Williams driver enters the pits and puts the car away after losing any chance of scoring after colliding with Gabriel Bortoleto a few laps behind.
No changes in positions | Lap 15/20
Give and take between some pilots, but without too many difficulties. Everyone maintains their positions.
McLaren Duel | Lap 12/20
Lando Norris is putting pressure on his teammate Oscar Piastri in the final laps, cautiously but with the difference between half a second and a second.
Career status | Return 11/20
Little movement in the Sprint race standings at the moment.
Verstappen leads | Lap 10/20
The Dutchman remains in the lead, with 1.2 seconds over Hamilton and 1.7 over Leclerc.
Leave Bortoleto | Lap 9/20
The Brazilian leaves the Sprint after a collision at turn 15 with Alex Albon, who has passed through the pits.
Valtteri Bottas is also out.
No luck for the Spanish | Lap 8/20
Alonso and Sainz remain at the back, 12th and 13th, respectively.
Relatively quiet departure | Lap 7/20
Everything remains the same ahead, with Verstappen first, while Bearman put on the show with a commendable overtake on Pierre Gasly.
The safety car ends | Lap 6/20
The action will resume on the next lap, while Ollie Bearman says on the radio that the asphalt is not dry enough.
Colapinto, out
The Argentine from Alpine also leaves, although we still don’t know what happened to him.
Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) spun behind the safety car.
Career status
After 4 laps, this is the race situation with Verstappen leading and the two Ferraris on the podium.
I pass through the pits
Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar are also out of the race, while the rest of the drivers take the opportunity to go through the pits and avoid Russell’s car so that the stewards can remove it from the track.
Russell accident!
The leader of the race, out. He hit the shoulder at the exit of the last bend and went into the wall. Safety car!
Several runners take the opportunity to enter the pits.
Russell takes the lead!
Excellent start for the British driver from Mercedes, who takes the lead, as well as his compatriot Hamilton, who climbs to third place with his Ferrari.
Verstappen, second.
Sainz, from the pit lane
The Spaniard starts from the pit lane.
20 lap race
By doing one more formation lap, the Sprint is reduced by one lap. Therefore, there will be 20 laps on the circuit.
Second round of training
Second formation lap and the start will be standing from the grid.
Optimal asphalt
The grip conditions of the asphalt have significantly improved. The intermediates will be destroyed as soon as they finish drying.
The training lap begins!
Engines running and cars moving, with the formation lap behind the safety car.
Everything in between
The 22 drivers and their respective teams have decided to opt for the intermediate starting tire.
Behind the safety car
Race management has just informed that the formation lap will be done behind the safety car.
Return from training at 11:30
Movement will begin in 10 minutes. Race management has just informed that the formation lap will be at 11:30 and the drivers are returning to the starting straight.
Mercedes, on the way to the Team Championship
The British-German team comfortably leads the Constructors’ Championship with 151 points ahead of Ferrari.
This is the World Cup
While they dry the circuit and wait for the rain to stop, we review how the World Championship drivers’ classification is.
It doesn’t look good
It is raining quite intensely on the asphalt of the Singapore street circuit. The drivers are taking refuge in their respective pits.
It rains in Singapore
It has started to rain in Singapore and the start of the Sprint will be delayed a few minutes before giving the green light for the 21 laps ahead to begin.
This is the starting grid
We remember the starting positions of the drivers, with the Spaniards Sainz and Alonso far from the first positions.
Max Verstappen opens the grid
The Dutch driver (1.31.156) will start from pole after winning the sprint classification, in which he surpassed George Russell and Charles Leclerc with a good cushion.
The World Championship leader, Kimi Antonelli, finished seventh (almost six tenths worse than his teammate Russell), testing the new Mercedes parts, but at the moment they are not working.
Welcome to the F1 Singapore GP sprint race broadcast!
Good morning! Welcome to Mundo Deportivo’s broadcast of the F1 Singapore GP sprint race. It will start in a few minutes, at 11am.
LiveBlog: 7260
More tomorrow!