Sportsupdated 2h ago2 min read
Max Verstappen Takes Singapore Sprint Pole After Yellow-Flag Investigation
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Verstappen took sprint pole at Singapore, ahead of Russell and Leclerc. Investigation over overtaking under yellow flags during SQ1; outcomes disputed across outlets.
Verstappen takes sprint pole
Max Verstappen took sprint pole at the Singapore Grand Prix after setting a lap of 1m 31.156s, finishing 0.12 seconds ahead of Mercedes driver George Russell and with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc third. Verstappen was 0.12 seconds quicker than the Briton, with Leclerc third, and McLaren’s Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris were fourth and fifth ahead of Lewis Hamilton. The Autosport live text described Verstappen being called to the stewards as they reviewed a potential yellow-flag infringement, and it said the jury was still out on the upgraded Mercedes.
Kimi Antonelli, using the Mercedes upgrade that underperformed in Malaysia while Russell was on the previous specification, could manage only seventh. The Formula 1 report said Verstappen’s pole lap was confirmed after an investigation for a potential yellow flag infringement in SQ1, and it listed Verstappen, Russell and Leclerc as the front row for the sprint.
FIA timing and settings
The BBC said there were further glitches with engine settings provided by the FIA, and it described a glitch in the F1 timing system that delayed the start of second qualifying.
The Autosport live text said race control reported there was "an issue with timing systems" and that "Some lap times had not been registered. That is now resolved and the current timings are considered correct."
Carlos Sainz complained that "On top of that, half the cars did the lap with half a second quicker engine than the others," and Sainz was knocked out in the first session after a "really poor lap".
The FIA statement said "This issue in question meant overtake mode was not available after the red flag period during SQ1," and it said the second and third periods of sprint qualifying were not affected.
The Autosport live text added that Antonelli and Leclerc had reported power delivery glitches and been told this was "an FIA issue," while it noted that Hadjar and Gasly exceeded track limits and were struck off.
Investigation ends, grid shifts
The FIA stewards cleared Verstappen to keep his sprint pole position after an investigation into an incident under yellow flag conditions in SQ1, and the Motorsport Latinoamérica report said he was acquitted by the FIA’s stewards. The stewards’ conclusion said the overtake was an "unfortunate consequence" of a significant closing speed difference, and the stewards decided not to impose a penalty. Verstappen faced an investigation for overtaking Hamilton under yellow flags shown before the first session was stopped for the Perez incident, but officials took no further action.
The Formula 1 report said Sergio Perez caused a red flag after finding the barrier in the opening minutes, and it described the session as busy under the lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Formula 1 report also said Carlos Sainz will line up on the back row with Sergio Perez for Saturday’s 21-lap affair, and it listed Kimi Antonelli as seventh and Franco Colapinto as 11th, with Fernando Alonso 15th and Carlos Sainz 22nd in the qualifying session.