F1 qualifying outcomes: Lando Norris captures pole, however Max Verstappen is lurking at Singapore Grand Prix

A tough shunt from Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz Jr. initially of Q3 left 9 drivers remaining, every with maybe only one shot at glory Saturday night time on the Singapore Grand Prix. Solely Oscar Piastri and Nico Hülkenberg had set a time forward of Sainz’s crash, and when the inexperienced flag flew once more the 9 remaining drivers stayed within the storage, organising a one-lap shootout for pole place.

With maybe some at McLaren and Haas hoping for one more incident to disrupt the run plans, giving Piastri and Hülkenberg the entrance row.

In the end with simply over 4 minutes left in Q3 pit lane roared to life, with Lando Norris and Piastri the primary to emerge. One lap, 19 corners, and 9 drivers chasing pole place and a little bit of glory in a captivating Components 1 season.

One of many final drivers to emerge? Max Verstappen, who was chasing a pole place of his personal rolled the cube that the benefits of seasoned monitor outweighed any threat of one other incident, that may see him begin behind the factors on Sunday.

In the long run, that glory belonged to Norris.

The McLaren driver and championship contender continued what has been a robust week for him in Singapore, placing his MCL38 on the entrance row.

The place he’ll begin alongside his rival in that championship, Verstappen.

“It was powerful,” mentioned Norris to James Hinchcliffe trackside after qualifying. “It was a ok efficiency, I’m proud of that, particularly in Singapore.

“We received the job accomplished.”

That drag race with Verstappen into Flip 1 tomorrow night time shall be fascinating, and also you may need to watch it. In fact, Norris’ report from ranging from pole place has been spotty, as he has but to guide the opening lap when ranging from pole place. However he does have a victory this season when ranging from pole place, as he gained the Dutch Grand Prix in dominant vogue regardless of shedding the lead on the opening lap.

So Saturday night time belonged to Norris. WIll Sunday night time as effectively?

Listed below are the total qualifying outcomes from Saturday night time’s qualifying session on the Singapore Grand Prix, in addition to some extra winners and losers:

Winner: Max Verstappen

Purple Bull is in a captivating place forward of the Singapore Grand Prix.

For the primary time since early within the 2022 season, they discover themselves wanting up within the Constructors’ Championship standings, trailing McLaren by 20 factors in that combat.

Issues didn’t look promising for the group, which has been a “home of horrors” for Purple Bull, and significantly Max Verstappen, in recent times. Final yr’s Singapore Grand Prix was the one Grand Prix Purple Bull didn’t win in 2023, and Verstappen has by no means began from pole place in Singapore, nor has he ever gained.

However due to a robust efficiency in qualifying, Verstappen shall be on the entrance row, and has a shot at that maiden Marina Bay victory. He’ll begin alongside Norris, and given Norris’ opening-lap historical past, Verstappen has a shot at grabbing the lead on the opening lap tomorrow night time.

“I’m blissful to be on the entrance row if you happen to take a look at the place we got here from yesterday,” mentioned Verstappen to Hinchcliffe trackside after qualifying. “I’ll take second, I’m proud of that.”

With Purple Bull scrapping for each level of their Constructors’ Championship chase, and Verstappen doing his greatest to fend off a problem from Norris within the Drivers’ Championship, beginning second within the Singapore Grand Prix may need been the perfect he might have requested for.

Loser: Daniel Ricciardo

Photograph by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Pictures

Yesterday we outlined how this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix could be Daniel Ricciardo’s final stand. The driving force was compelled to handle his potential closing days within the sport throughout Thursday’s media session, declaring that his purpose was to “put the factor on the rostrum.”

That final stand received far more tough on Saturday night time at Marina Bay.

Ricciardo was eradicated in Q1 and is ready to begin Sunday night time’s Singapore Grand Prix behind the sphere.

Ricciardo’s elimination touched off a quick dialogue on F1TV concerning his future, and whether or not it will certainly be his final race weekend in Components 1. “This will have been an all-or-nothing weekend for Danny Ricciardo,” outlined Jolyon Palmer. David Coulthard maybe put it greatest when he commented “[t]he blunt actuality of that is that they’re all good, however we’re searching for distinctive. And this yr, he hasn’t been.

“That could possibly be his final qualifying session in Components 1,” Coulthard added.

This sport calls for that stage of efficiency on each single lap, and after this qualifying session, it does really feel that Ricciardo’s time is operating out.

Winners: Mercedes

The roar instructed the story.

When Lewis Hamilton got here throughout the road on the finish of Q3, and his time was good for a provisional P2, the group at Marina Bay exploded at seeing his identify atop the timing sheets.

Whereas Verstappen in the end pipped him for P2, Hamilton is slated to begin third and may have his Mercedes teammate George Russell beginning alongside him on Sunday night time when the lights exit. It was a welcome end result for the Mercedes driver and residing legend, who has struggled in qualifying this season.

“Qualifying has been a catastrophe for me all yr lengthy, and I’ve simply been working and dealing attempting to get myself again up there, and swiftly the automotive got here alive in qualifying for the primary time in a very long time in qualifying,” mentioned Hamilton trackside. “I believe there’s a tiny bit extra left within the automotive, and I’m grateful for it.

“The mechanics have simply been faultless, and I simply need to say a giant thanks to them.”

With Hamilton and Mercedes locking out the second row — and each Ferrari drivers beginning behind them — the Silver Arrows have an opportunity to make just a little noise Sunday night time in Marina Bay.

Losers: Ferrari

Photograph by Jayce Illman/Getty Pictures

Speak about a foul little bit of luck.

Final yr’s winner of the Singapore Grand Prix noticed his qualifying session come to an early finish in Q3.

Carlos Sainz Jr. was on an out lap initially of Q3, and after pulling over to permit Oscar Piastri to complete his push lap he received onto the throttle heading into Flip 19, when he out of the blue misplaced the rear finish and slammed into the barrier rear first, ending his qualifying session and bringing out a fast yellow flag, adopted by a purple flag. It was a shocking second, which referred to as into query whether or not his tires have been correctly warmed earlier than starting his push lap.

Sainz was capable of climb out of the automotive and stroll away however was baffled as to how the incident occurred.

“I don’t know if it was chilly tires, soiled air, or if I used to be … dangerous snap,” commented Sainz over the radio to his group. The group on F1TV speculated that going off the racing line to let Piastri by maybe noticed Sainz’s tires decide up a little bit of mud, making the rear tires a contact extra slippery as he engaged the throttle. Add within the colder tire temperatures you see on an out lap, and you’ve got the dangerous snap from Sainz into the barrier, and out of qualifying.

Fortunately Sainz, who endured a tough shunt final weekend on the finish of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, was capable of stroll again to the storage and appeared in comparatively good spirits. Nonetheless, now the group has quite a lot of work to prepare for Sunday’s Grand Prix, and quite a lot of harm to restore.

Charles Leclerc was nonetheless alive in Q3, and put in a lap that had him close to the entrance. However his lap time was chosen, dropping him again to rear of the highest ten, the place he’ll begin alongside Sainz, supplied Ferrari can get that SF-24 able to go. Ought to Sainz’s gearbox be broken and the group want to put in a brand new one,

Winner: Yuki Tsunoda

On the opposite facet of the storage at Visa Money App RB F1 Workforce, it was a robust efficiency from Yuki Tsunoda on Saturday night time at Marina Bay.

Tsunoda stormed into Q3 with a formidable effort in Q2, locking up a spot for him contained in the factors when the lights exit on Sunday night time. He’s set to begin eighth, which places him in stable place to convey house some factors for VCARB on Sunday night time.

Losers: Sauber

The search for Sauber’s first level of the 2024 season has turn into quixotic.

For the fourth straight Grand Prix, each Zhou Guanyu and Valtteri Bottas have been eradicated in Q1, and are set to begin behind the sphere Sunday night time in Singapore.

At this level, the group may pin all their hopes on that elusive first level on the Qatar Grand Prix on the finish of the season. A yr in the past in Qatar each Zhou and Bottas completed within the factors, the one time all season they loved a double factors end result.

That race additionally represents the one Grand Prix from 2023 remaining on the calendar the place Sauber completed within the factors.

Winner: Nico Hülkenberg

Photograph by Lars Baron – Components 1/Components 1 by way of Getty Pictures

One of many extra fascinating fights shaping up in Components 1 in the meanwhile is that between VCARB and Haas for sixth place within the Constructors’ Championship. With Yuki Tsunoda beginning eighth, VCARB has an opportunity to convey house some factors Sunday night time, aiding them in that combat.

However Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg did him just a few spots higher.

The German driver joined Tsunoda in Q3, and when the checkered flag flew Hülkenberg was up in sixth, the place he’ll begin immediately in entrance of Tsunoda, and on the third row alongside Oscar Piastri.

The end result additionally matches Hülkenberg’s greatest qualifying efficiency of the season, when he additionally began sixth on the British Grand Prix again in July.

Hülkenberg could also be shifting to Sauber for subsequent season, however his qualifying efficiency on Saturday night time in Singapore places him in place to ship a large end result for Haas forward of that exit.

Loser: Sergio Pérez

Heading into this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix, the phrase from Purple Bull was that it would take till america Grand Prix for the RB20 to point out true enchancment.

That was evident from the “King of the Streets” on Saturday night time, as he was eradicated in Q2, ending behind the Williams duo of Alexander Albon and Franco Colapinto. At a circuit the place he has gained earlier than, again in 2022, he faces a tough proposition of moving into the factors on Sunday night time.

He was additionally 0.899 seconds off the tempo set by teammate Max Verstappen throughout Q2, maybe a worrying signal for his potential efficiency tomorrow.