Verstappen sealed victory in the sprint, taking pole in Singapore as Antonelli extended his title lead

Max Verstappen returned to the top of Formula 1 with a statement at the Singapore Grand Prix, winning the sprint race and securing the 50th pole position of his career in qualifying on Saturday.

The Red Bull driver set the fastest lap of 1 minute 31.373 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by just 0.054 seconds. Lewis Hamilton qualified third while championship leader Kimi Antonelli secured fourth place for Mercedes.

Verstappen’s performance marked a turnaround on the circuit where he often struggled. Despite reporting gearbox problems during qualifying, the four-time world champion was able to win when it mattered to claim his second consecutive pole position of the season.

“The margin is very tight between us throughout qualifying, so of course I’m very happy to be on pole because this is what I wanted,” Verstappen said ahead of his 250th Grand Prix.

“The car was pretty strong all weekend. Of course I always think you can be better, but it was enough for pole so I’m very happy with that.”

VERSTAPPEN’S DOUBLE

Verstappen’s sprint win came in chaotic wet conditions after Mercedes driver George Russell initially took the lead off the line. Russell lost control in the opening lap after crossing the painted line, spinning across the track and crashing into the barriers.

With Russell out, Verstappen moved clear to win, with Hamilton and Leclerc completing the top three. The Dutchman carried that momentum into qualifying when he overtook Leclerc in a closely fought final.

However, Red Bull still has to address a weakness. Verstappen lost the sprint lead at the start and repeated the problem he experienced last week in Malaysia, despite eventually winning the race.

“We don’t accelerate off the line,” Verstappen said. “Until now, we’ve always had terrible starts, so we have to understand what’s going on there.”

He also complained about poor gearing during qualifying, describing the downgrading as “crazy, crazy bad”. However, the problems did not prevent him from taking pole position.

Leclerc admitted he made mistakes in his final lap, while Hamilton, who was on top in both Q1 and Q2, was unable to maintain his pace in the decisive section.

ANTONELLI GAINS LAND

Antonelli was another big asset to Saturday’s event. The 20-year-old extended his championship lead over team-mate Russell from 84 points to 89 after finishing fourth in qualifying and gaining two places in the final sprint lap.

This late advance followed a collision between McLaren teammates Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. Norris tried an ambitious move inside but misjudged it and sent Piastri into the barriers.

Russell’s engine-related grid penalty means he is set to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back, giving Antonelli the opportunity to further extend his lead at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

HADJAR’S RECORD ENDS

Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar endured a difficult drive and returned to the garage with a gearbox problem before setting a lap time. The Frenchman subsequently lost his record of reaching Q3 in every qualifier this season.

McLaren’s Norris and Piastri will start from the third row after the stewards took no action on their sprint collision. Pierre Gasly qualified seventh, followed by Liam Lawson, Arvid Lindblad and Nico Hulkenberg in the top 10.

With Verstappen on pole and Russell facing a difficult recovery, Antonelli has a valuable opportunity to strengthen his championship position in Sunday’s race.

– The end