© Vladimir Rys2024 Singapore Grand Prix - Qualifying Report A tense top 10 shootout sees Max Verstappen qualify for the Singapore Grand Prix on the front row, missing out on pole position to Lando Norris.
MaxVerstappenwillstarttheSingaporeGrandPrixfromthefrontrowofthegridafterhejustmissedoutonpoletoLandoNorrisattheendofanailbitingQ3inwhichthedriverswererestrictedtojustasinglemakeorbreakrunafteracrashforCarlosSainzwipedoutthefirstflyinglaps.TherewasdisappointmentforSergioPerez,however,withtheMexicandriverruledoutofQ2in13thplace.
We managed to improve the car, run after run, and I'm happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday.
“The whole of qualifying went quite well,” Max said afterwards. “We managed to improve the car, run after run, and I'm happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday. Q3 was tough. You know, your lap gets, of course, cancelled with the double yellow. then everyone only has one run to do the lap, so you don't want to overdo it. So you want to stay within the limit. I take second. I'm happy with that!”
Singapore Grand Prix Quali
In the final runs Max came within almost two tenths of sealing pole© Getty Images
Max Verstappen will start the Singapore GP from the front row© Getty Images
“We managed to improve the car, run after run“© Getty Images
Max said the outcome puts him in a good place for tomorrow’s race© Getty Images
A tense top 10 shootout© Getty Images
Checo was the first of the Bulls out on track at the start of qualifying© Getty Images
After a “not very positive” 15th place in FP2, Max said the team had plenty of work to do overnight to optimise the performance of the RB20 and as soon as meaningful running got underway in the final hour of practice it was clear to see the hard work had not been in vain.
First though, came a slight delay. At the start of the session running was halted as red flags came out to allow marshals to chase an invading lizard off the track.
When the green lights were lit once again, a steady stream of cars flowed onto the track on medium tyres and Max, branding the car “much better”, quickly jumped to the top of the timesheet with a lap of 1:32.044. McLaren’s Lando Norris slotted into P2, 0.252 off the Dutchman but Checo swiftly moved ahead of the Briton with a time of 1:32.180.
Max then lowered the benchmark to 1:31.630 before Charles Leclerc went a tenth 0.105s clear, and the Monegasque driver was soon joined at the top by team-mate Sainz who posted a lap of 1:31.623, 0.007s ahead of Max.
Just past the halfway mark the field began to switch to quali sims, but the Bulls looked less comfortable on the C5 compound. Max’s opening run saw him post a solid time of 1:30.540 and though the Dutchman put in further attempts, he couldn’t find an improvement. And when Norris posted a lap of 1:29.646 to take top spot ahead of Mercedes’ George Russell, the champion was left with P4 at the end of the session behind McLaren’s Oscar Piastri.
Checo, meanwhile, stayed out on medium tyres until inside the final 10 minutes and when he did bolt on the C5 tyres, he only managed a time of 1:31.440 and 15th place on the timesheet.
Checo was the first of the Bulls out on track at the start of qualifying, along with the two Ferrari drivers and both McLarens, while Max held fire in the garage. And after their opening runs, Norris took top spot with a lap of 1:30.724 ahead of Leclerc. Piastri took third ahead of Carlos Sainz and Alex Albon, while Checo’s 1:31.599 put him seventh. And when Mercedes’ George Russell and Lewis Hamilton jumped up the order, the Mexican slipped to P8, despite an improvement to 1:30.564 on his second flyer.
With 12 minutes left in the session, Max eventually left the garage as the last of the expected front runners to take to the track. And the wait for the track to evolve proved useful as he jumped from the bottom of the table to P2 thanks to a lap of 1:30.854, 0.130s off Norris. Leclerc then found slightly more time on his second run to demote the Dutchman to third.
With three minutes left the final runs got underway and Norris immediately tightened his grip on P1 with a lap of 1:30.002 on used tyres.
Ahead of the last flyers, Checo was down in 14th place and in danger of exit, but with new Softs on board and with a string of personal best mini-sectors across his lap, the Minster posted a lap of 1:30.624 that took him well inside the comfort zone.
Max, too, bolted on a new set of C5s and lit up the timing screens as he jumped from P8 to P2 at the flag. The Dutchman went through to Q2 just 0.155s behind Norris. Piastri took third ahead of Hamilton and Checo eased through on P2.
There was no place in the second session for VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo. The Australian was eliminated in P16, just over a tenth off Alpine’s Esteban Ocon. Behind Ricciardo, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll exited in P17 ahead of Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and the Sauber’s of Valtteri Bottas and Zhou Guanyu.
The Bulls were first out on track at the start of Q2, with both on used tyres. And when the pair crossed the line Max took P1 on 1:30.371, but though he briefly moved ahead of Checo it required a huge save in the final corner as the car snapped out and he drifted over the kerbs. His time was subsequently deleted for track limits.
Checo’s opener was only three hundredths slower than his Q1 best and after the opening runs, he found himself in ninth place. Max, meanwhile, found himself down in P15. At the top of the order Hamilton led the way on 1:29.929, 0.078 ahead of Norris and with Russell in third place.
With six minutes left on the clock, Max headed out for a final run on a largely clear track and thanks to a mighty lap of 1:29.680 and a purple middle sector the Dutchman vaulted from dead last to top spot, 0.289s clear of Hamilton.
That dropped Checo to P10 and the edge of the drop zone and despite having new tyres, the Mexican couldn’t find the necessary improvement. As improvements flooded in across the timing screen, Checo’s final flyer of 1:30.579 saw him drop down the order and he was bounced out of Q2 in P13 for the second year in a row. Also ruled out at the end of the session were Williams pair Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto in P11 and P12 respectively, while Haas’ Kevin Magnussen dropped out in P14 ahead of Ocon.
At the top, Max cruised through in second place, just 0.040 behind eventual quickest driver Piastri and ahead of Leclerc.
At the start of the top 10 shootout, Max was one of the first out on track but though the Dutchman posted a lap of 1:29.791 to take top spot it wouldn’t keep him there. Ahead of him on track Carlos Sainz, preparing for a flying lap, backed off to let the faster Piastri through. The Spanish driver then dropped the throttle to begin his own flying lap but on cold tyres he lost control in the final corner and slid backwards into the wall.
Max was right behind the Spaniard and appeared to slow and cross the line before the red flag, but with double yellows already in place, his time was deleted.
It meant that the only drivers to put times on board were Piastri, who took P1 on 1:30.037 and Haas’ Nico Hülkenberg, who was eight tenths off the McLaren. The rest were faced with a single run for glory.
And in the final runs Max came within almost two tenths of sealing pole. McLaren’s drivers left the pit lane first and Norris established a tough benchmark of 1:29.525 ahead of Piastri. Leclerc had his lap time deleted, Hülkenberg took P3, Leclerc had his final time deleted, and then Hamilton vaulted to the front row on a time of 1:29.841.
Behind them all, Max bided his time. The Dutchman was the last out on track and with Norris’ time to aim at he pulled out all the stops to claim pole. And in the end his 1:29.728 was good enough to hand him a first front row since his home race at Zandvoort.
Afterwards Max said the outcome puts him in a good place for tomorrow’s race.
We are second. Tomorrow, it's a bit difficult to say. Singapore, a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it. 
