MAX Verstappen moved a step closer to conquering Singapore, taking pole position for the Grand Prix on Saturday after winning the rain-hit Sprint earlier in the day.
The Red Bull driver clocked 1:31.373 at Marina Bay, beating Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.054 seconds to claim the 50th pole position of his career on his 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix weekend.
READ: Max Verstappen gets first win of F1 season in Sepang homecoming
“It was good. Just very close; the margins are very close I think between us throughout the whole of Qualifying. Of course, I’m very happy to be on pole, because this is the one that I wanted. I’m very happy. The car has been pretty strong the whole weekend," Verstappen said.
Lewis Hamilton rounded out the top three after leading both Q1 and Q2. Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, ahead of McLaren’s Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fifth and sixth, respectively.
Pierre Gasly took seventh for Alpine, followed by Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson and Isack Hadjar, while Mercedes’ George Russell rounded out the top 10.
Verstappen delivered when it mattered in Q3, putting himself in the best possible position to chase a maiden Singapore Grand Prix victory. Singapore remains the only circuit in Formula 1’s active rotation where the four-time world champion has yet to win a Grand Prix.
Wire-to-wire Sprint win for Max
Verstappen had already claimed victory earlier Saturday, navigating treacherous conditions to win a Sprint marked by crashes, collisions and seven retirements, the most in the format this season.
Heavy rain delayed the start by around 30 minutes, with standing water across parts of the Marina Bay circuit forcing the field to begin on intermediate tires.
Russell made the stronger getaway from pole and briefly took the lead, but his advantage lasted only until the final corner of the opening lap, where he lost control and crashed into the barriers.
Verstappen inherited the lead and controlled the race after the Safety Car restart, managing his tires as the circuit gradually dried. Hamilton finished second, 2.591 seconds behind, while Leclerc completed the podium.
The drama continued when McLaren teammates Norris and Piastri collided while fighting for position. Norris recovered to finish eighth, while Piastri was classified 14th after the incident.
With a Sprint victory and pole position secured, Verstappen now has the chance to cap his milestone weekend by finally adding the Singapore Grand Prix to his list of career victories.
SPIN.ph, Esquire Philippines to co-host Singapore GP watch party
Filipino F1 fans can catch Sunday’s action with SPIN.ph and Esquire Philippines teaming up to co-host a Singapore Grand Prix watch party at Skyline Sports & Social on the fourth floor of Century Mall in Makati.
Admission is free, but registration is required, with attendees needing confirmation before joining the event. Doors open at 6 p.m., with coverage running from the pre-race build-up through the final lap.
The watch party gives fans a chance to follow Verstappen’s bid for a breakthrough Singapore victory together as the Dutchman looks to turn his milestone weekend into a memorable one.
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