Russell Shocks Verstappen and Takes Pole in Singapore

George Russell Stuns with Pole Position in Singapore

In an exciting qualifying session for the Singapore Grand Prix, George Russell, Mercedes driver, secured pole position, exceeding expectations and marking a significant milestone for his team. Max Verstappen, from Red Bull, and Oscar Piastri, from McLaren, completed the top three.

This is Russell’s first pole position since the Canadian Grand Prix and he demonstrated his potential by beating Verstappen by 0.182 seconds.

Piastri’s third position, with his McLaren, adds an interesting element to the competition, considering that Verstappen seeks to defend his title despite being 69 points behind in the standings. Verstappen has reduced the gap with Piastri in the last two races, adding 35 points, while McLaren’s Lando Norris placed fifth and is 25 points behind his teammate, Piastri.

Verstappen, on his final attempt, was affected by traffic and couldn’t complete his fast lap, missing the opportunity to get pole. The Red Bull driver, encountering Norris’ McLaren in a slow sector, apparently lost performance.

“That’s what happens when there’s a car in front that’s just going at its own pace, only two seconds ahead. That will be noticed, and it will also be remembered.”

Max Verstappen

Verstappen’s performance is a boost for Red Bull, who haven’t performed their best on high-downforce circuits like Singapore. Russell, after getting the pole, commented: “Incredible to be in pole position. Yesterday was a very difficult day for many different reasons, but it’s good to be back and get a result. It will be a long and sweaty race tomorrow, but I knew there was potential in the car.” Kimi Antonelli, Russell’s teammate, secured fourth place on the grid, demonstrating Mercedes’ strength. Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, from Ferrari, will start from seventh and eighth positions, respectively. Oliver Bearman from Haas and Fernando Alonso from Aston Martin completed the top ten. Nico Hülkenberg will start from 11th position for Sauber. Alexander Albon and Carlos Sainz, from Williams, qualified in 12th and 13th places, but were disqualified for a DRS infringement and will start the race from the back of the grid. Liam Lawson, of Racing Bulls, qualified in 14th place, while Yuki Tsunoda, Verstappen’s teammate, struggled and placed 15th. Pierre Gasly had to stop on the side of the track on his last lap of Q1 due to a hydraulic problem, which left him in last place and caused a yellow flag that interrupted the laps of several drivers. Gabriel Bortoleto from Sauber, among others, missed Q3 by 0.045 seconds, finishing in 16th place, followed by Lance Stroll from Aston Martin in 17th place. Franco Colapinto was 18th for Alpine, with Esteban Ocon from Haas in 19th place.