Max Verstappen claims his first pole position in Singapore ahead of his 250th Formula 1 Grand Prix, narrowly beating George Russell in a dramatic Sprint Qualifying session.
For all his victories, championships and records, there has been one particular achievement that has continued to elude Max Verstappen: pole position at Marina Bay. Until now.
The four-time Formula 1 World Champion made history on Thursday evening, securing pole position for Singapore’s first-ever Sprint race with a blistering lap of 1 minute 31.156 seconds.
It was a fitting milestone for the 29-year-old Dutchman, who will also make his 250th Grand Prix start this weekend.
A Last-Minute Charge Under The Lights
With the clock ticking down in the final segment of Sprint Qualifying, Verstappen switched from Pirelli’s Medium tyres to the softer compound and promptly found another level of performance.
His final lap, completed at an average speed of 194.580km/h, placed him just 0.120 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell, with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc completing the top three.
“It’s always close here in Singapore. But once we bolted on the Soft tyres it felt as if the car was coming alive a bit more. Being in the cockpit here is just like a sauna, and trying to do some exercise in it!”
Max Verstappen, Oracle Red Bull Racing
Anyone who has experienced Singapore’s humidity will understand the comparison. Now imagine enduring it while wrestling a Formula 1 car through 19 corners at racing speeds.
The result also marks Verstappen’s first Sprint pole of the 2026 season, although his achievement remains subject to a stewards’ investigation concerning an alleged overtake on Lewis Hamilton during a yellow-flag period.
The incident followed debris being shed by Sergio Perez’s Cadillac, which subsequently triggered a red flag.
Mercedes Shows Promise, But Antonelli Struggles
Russell had earlier topped the sole practice session with a 1:32.274, suggesting Mercedes could be a genuine contender around Marina Bay.
The Briton carried that pace into qualifying, narrowly missing pole despite facing engine-related penalties that will send him to the back of the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix.
“We’ve been competitive all day. The sport is driven by the stopwatch and so far, the stopwatch hasn’t been great.”
George Russell, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
His team-mate Kimi Antonelli endured a considerably more difficult evening. Despite holding an 84-point advantage in the championship standings, the Italian struggled with an unpredictable Mercedes and finished almost half a second behind Russell.
“The car is very unpredictable, it’s very difficult to put a lap together. I don’t see where we can find so much time.”
Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS Formula One Team
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris qualified fourth and fifth respectively, ahead of Hamilton in the second Ferrari. Liam Lawson secured eighth for Racing Bulls, while Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly completed the top ten.
Singapore’s First Sprint Weekend Gets Underway
A telemetry glitch following SQ1 temporarily disrupted proceedings, while Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad found himself 17th after struggling to put together a competitive lap.
Elsewhere, Porsche Carrera Cup Asia championship contender Marcus Amand topped Free Practice with a 2:02.698, setting up an intriguing conclusion to the series this weekend.
Saturday’s 21-lap Sprint will see the top eight finishers score championship points, and with Russell showing competitive pace and Antonelli looking to recover lost ground, Verstappen is unlikely to enjoy an uncontested run to the chequered flag.
For now, though, the Dutchman has finally conquered one of Formula 1’s most demanding qualifying venues.
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