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. at first of Q3 left 9 drivers remaining, every with maybe only one shot at glory Saturday evening 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 an additional incident to disrupt the run plans, giving Piastri and Hülkenberg the entrance row.

Finally 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 an enchanting Method 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 danger of one other incident, that might see him begin in the back of 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 robust,” stated Norris to James Hinchcliffe trackside after qualifying. “It was a adequate efficiency, I’m pleased with that, particularly in Singapore.

“We obtained the job completed.”

That drag race with Verstappen into Flip 1 tomorrow evening will likely be fascinating, and also you may wish to watch it. In fact, Norris’ document 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 trend regardless of shedding the lead on the opening lap.

So Saturday evening belonged to Norris. WIll Sunday evening as properly?

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

Winner: Max Verstappen

Purple Bull is in an enchanting 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 battle.

Issues didn’t look promising for the staff, which has been a “home of horrors” for Purple Bull, and notably Max Verstappen, lately. Final 12 months’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 will likely 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 evening.

“I’m completely satisfied to be on the entrance row when you have a look at the place we got here from yesterday,” stated Verstappen to Hinchcliffe trackside after qualifying. “I’ll take second, I’m pleased with that.”

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

Loser: Daniel Ricciardo

Picture by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Photographs

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

That final stand obtained way more troublesome on Saturday evening at Marina Bay.

Ricciardo was eradicated in Q1 and is ready to begin Sunday evening’s Singapore Grand Prix in the back of the sphere.

Ricciardo’s elimination touched off a quick dialogue on F1TV relating to his future, and whether or not it could certainly be his final race weekend in Method 1. “This will likely have been an all-or-nothing weekend for Danny Ricciardo,” outlined Jolyon Palmer. David Coulthard maybe put it finest when he commented “[t]he blunt actuality of that is that they’re all good, however we’re in search of distinctive. And this 12 months, he hasn’t been.

“That may very well be his final qualifying session in Method 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 working out.

Winners: Mercedes

The roar informed 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 evening when the lights exit. It was a welcome consequence for the Mercedes driver and dwelling legend, who has struggled in qualifying this season.

“Qualifying has been a catastrophe for me all 12 months lengthy, and I’ve simply been working and dealing attempting to get myself again up there, and swiftly the automobile got here alive in qualifying for the primary time in a very long time in qualifying,” stated Hamilton trackside. “I believe there’s a tiny bit extra left within the automobile, and I’m grateful for it.

“The mechanics have simply been faultless, and I simply wish to say an enormous 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 a bit of noise Sunday evening in Marina Bay.

Losers: Ferrari

Picture by Jayce Illman/Getty Photographs

Speak about a foul little bit of luck.

Final 12 months’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 at first of Q3, and after pulling over to permit Oscar Piastri to complete his push lap he obtained onto the throttle heading into Flip 19, when he abruptly 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 stunning 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 automobile 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 … unhealthy snap,” commented Sainz over the radio to his staff. The staff on F1TV speculated that going off the racing line to let Piastri by maybe noticed Sainz’s tires choose 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 unhealthy 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. Nevertheless, now the staff 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 staff want to put in a brand new one,

Winner: Yuki Tsunoda

On the opposite facet of the storage at Visa Money App RB F1 Crew, it was a robust efficiency from Yuki Tsunoda on Saturday evening 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 evening. He’s set to begin eighth, which places him in stable place to deliver dwelling some factors for VCARB on Sunday evening.

Losers: Sauber

The hunt 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 in the back of the sphere Sunday evening in Singapore.

At this level, the staff may pin all their hopes on that elusive first level on the Qatar Grand Prix on the finish of the season. A 12 months in the past in Qatar each Zhou and Bottas completed within the factors, the one time all season they loved a double factors consequence.

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

Winner: Nico Hülkenberg

Picture by Lars Baron – Method 1/Method 1 through Getty Photographs

One of many extra fascinating fights shaping up in Method 1 in the mean time is that between VCARB and Haas for sixth place within the Constructors’ Championship. With Yuki Tsunoda beginning eighth, VCARB has an opportunity to deliver dwelling some factors Sunday evening, aiding them in that battle.

However Haas driver Nico Hülkenberg did him a number of 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 instantly in entrance of Tsunoda, and on the third row alongside Oscar Piastri.

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

Hülkenberg could also be transferring to Sauber for subsequent season, however his qualifying efficiency on Saturday evening in Singapore places him in place to ship a large consequence 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’d take till the US Grand Prix for the RB20 to indicate true enchancment.

That was evident from the “King of the Streets” on Saturday evening, 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 troublesome proposition of moving into the factors on Sunday evening.

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.