George Russell delivered a stunning lap to secure pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix, strengthening his case for a Mercedes contract extension with a display of precision and speed at Marina Bay.
Russell edged Max Verstappen by almost two-tenths of a second, a considerable margin on the demanding street circuit. But the world champion was left frustrated, claiming his final attempt was ruined after losing downforce behind Lando Norris’s McLaren on an in-lap. Verstappen waved in frustration and later suggested the incident would be “remembered”.
Norris dismissed the complaints, saying he had been several seconds clear and pointing out that he had broken no regulations. “They always complain, they complain about everything, that’s Red Bull,” he said.
Whether Verstappen could have matched Russell remains uncertain. He had already trailed the Briton on his first hot lap, while Russell improved again on his second effort. Behind them, Oscar Piastri took third, with Norris in fifth, as McLaren admitted they lacked the pace to challenge. Piastri, however, still holds a 25-point lead in the title race heading into Sunday.
Russell’s pole came despite him still recovering from illness and followed a strong showing with Mercedes’ upgraded front wing. His form could not be more timely as speculation over his future continues.
The grid behind him is tight, with Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli impressing in fourth, while Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc will line up sixth and seventh. Williams endured a disastrous end to qualifying after both cars were disqualified for DRS infringements, dropping Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz to the back.
