F1 Singapore: Verstappen sprint pole, FIA admits error

Max Verstappen will start the Singapore Grand Prix Formula 1 sprint from pole position. The Red Bull driver set a 1'31.156 in SQ3 at the Marina Bay street circuit, ahead of George Russell (Mercedes) and Charles Leclerc (Ferrari). His result was under investigation for passing under a yellow flag, but the stewards did not penalise him. Meanwhile, the FIA admitted a human error that skewed the first part of sprint qualifying.

Verstappen ahead of Russell and Leclerc

According to the FIA, Verstappen beat Russell by 0.120 s. Leclerc was third, 0.243 s back, with Oscar Piastri (McLaren) fourth, 0.055 s behind the Ferrari driver, then Lando Norris fifth and Lewis Hamilton sixth. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli will start seventh, 0.693 s off the fastest time. Liam Lawson was eighth. Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly, whose SQ3 laps were deleted, complete the top 10.

No penalty for the yellow flag

The session had been red-flagged with six minutes remaining in SQ1 after Sergio Pérez hit the barriers. Verstappen had passed Hamilton under yellow flags. The stewards found a breach of Article 2.5.5b of Appendix H of the International Sporting Code, but called the pass an "unfortunate consequence" of a large closing-speed differential, according to Motorsport Week.

• Telemetry confirmed Verstappen lifted after seeing the yellow flag.
• He had fully lifted off the throttle within about 40 metres of entering the yellow-flag sector.
• Hamilton was travelling at under 60 km/h at the point of the pass.
• Verstappen was about 70 km/h slower than on another push lap in the same session.

Hamilton therefore starts sixth.

The FIA error in SQ1

After the restart, several drivers reported a lack of power. The FIA explained it was not a software issue but a human error in race control: Overtake Mode, which provides an extra half-megajoule of energy, was unavailable. It was switched on for 27 seconds, then turned off again. A separate timing problem, handled by F1, also stopped several lap times from being registered. The FIA stressed that the second and third parts of qualifying were not affected.

According to Autosport, Arvid Lindblad, Lance Stroll and both Williams cars were eliminated in SQ1. Williams asked for all 22 cars to take part in SQ2, which the stewards refused. A re-run of SQ1 was also ruled out because there were not enough tyre sets. The FIA apologised, and single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis met the affected teams. Aston Martin is still weighing its options, while Williams and Racing Bulls do not plan to protest. Autosport understands the result will not be changed further.

Key points

• Verstappen on sprint pole with a 1'31.156, Russell 0.120 s behind.
• Yellow-flag breach found, but no penalty.
• Overtake Mode unavailable after the SQ1 red flag: human error, the FIA said.
• No change expected to the sprint grid.