Q1: Hamilton Leads, Gasly Out
The opening session began in heavy traffic, with Racing Bulls managing to send Liam Lawson out after quick repairs. As track temperatures dropped to 35°C, grip improved and lap times tumbled.
Williams’ Carlos Sainz initially led before Isack Hadjar posted a 1:30.572 to go quickest. Verstappen, Bearman and Russell briefly took over, but it was Lando Norris who ended on top with a 1:29.932.
Late drama struck when Pierre Gasly’s Alpine suffered a failure, bringing out yellow flags and forcing several drivers to abort laps. At the flag, Lewis Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris formed the top three, while Yuki Tsunoda narrowly scraped into Q2.
Eliminated in Q1: Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly.
Q2: Mercedes Dominates the Session
Q2 opened with Max Verstappen setting the benchmark at 1:29.747, but Mercedes quickly asserted control. Rookie Kimi Antonelli briefly went fastest with a 1:29.649 before teammate Russell lowered the mark again to 1:29.562.
The Dutchman slotted into second, just 0.010s off Russell, with Antonelli third. McLaren’s Norris and Piastri followed closely in fourth and fifth. Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was sixth, ahead of Hamilton in seventh. Hadjar impressed with eighth, Alonso ninth and Bearman tenth.
Eliminated in Q2: Carlos Sainz, Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda, Alex Albon and Nico Hulkenberg.
Q3: Russell Delivers Under the Lights
In the final shootout, Russell delivered a near-perfect lap, setting the fastest first sector before crossing the line in 1:29.158. Despite a strong final attempt, Verstappen fell 0.182s short and had to settle for P2.
McLaren’s Piastri continued his strong form with third, ahead of Antonelli in fourth and Norris in fifth.
Ferrari endured a tougher session, with Hamilton sixth and Leclerc seventh. Hadjar impressed again in eighth for Racing Bulls, while Oliver Bearman and Fernando Alonso rounded out the top ten.
Mercedes’ aggressive approach – pushing the car right to the limits – underlined their speed, with Russell and Antonelli extracting maximum performance around the tricky street circuit.
Post-Qualifying Drama: Albon and Sainz Disqualified
After the session, a major development shook the order: Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz were disqualified from qualifying due to a DRS system technical infringement. Both will start Sunday’s race from the back of the grid.
What’s Next?
The 2025 Singapore Grand Prix takes place on Sunday at 16:00 local time (Gulf Standard Time). Can George Russell convert his pole into victory, or will Max Verstappen strike back under the Marina Bay lights?
Catch the 2025 Singapore GP qualifying highlights here and stay tuned for the full race analysis tomorrow.
