Event: Singapore Grand Prix
Track: Singapore Street Circuit
Weather: dry 39.4°C
Tarmac: dry 31.8°C
Humidity : 79%
Wind : 4.6 km/h South
Lando Norris scored his 6th F1 pole position of his career during the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix qualifying session today. It was the 5th pole for the McLaren driver of the season and he will start from P1 for the first time on the Singapore Street circuit. It was the 161st pole for McLaren.
Norris Takes Pole in Thrilling Singapore GP Qualifying
Lando Norris delivered an outstanding performance under the lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit, securing pole position for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. The McLaren driver, who has been consistently fast throughout the weekend, clocked a lap time of 1:29.525, putting him two-tenths ahead of his title rival, Max Verstappen.
"It was tough, especially through qualifying," Norris admitted post-session. "I made a few mistakes, but the car felt good. I'm happy we got the job done."
Norris' pole adds to his impressive run of form this season as he now aims to convert his front-row start into a victory at the challenging street circuit.
Verstappen and Mercedes Battle for the Front Row
Max Verstappen was unable to eclipse Norris’ lap, settling for second place on the grid. However, the Red Bull driver was upbeat about his result, especially after a difficult start to the weekend.
"I'm happy to be on the front row," Verstappen said. "Considering where we were yesterday, it's a good result. In Singapore, anything can happen, so we’re in a good position to fight."
Mercedes locked out the second row, with Lewis Hamilton outqualifying teammate George Russell. Hamilton was pleased with his performance, noting improvements in the car’s balance after a challenging season in qualifying.
"Qualifying has been a disaster for me this year," Hamilton commented. "But today the car felt alive. There was a bit more in it, but I’m happy with the progress we’ve made."
Ferrari's Troubles and Sainz’s Crash
Ferrari endured a tough session, with Carlos Sainz crashing out in Q3 and teammate Charles Leclerc failing to set a competitive lap time due to track limits violations. Sainz’s incident brought out the red flags, significantly impacting the final stages of qualifying.
Sainz, who was attempting to improve on his earlier lap, lost control at the final corner and collided with the barriers, wiping out his rear wing. He was unharmed but disappointed to start from tenth.
Leclerc’s woes continued as he saw his lap time deleted, dropping him to ninth. Ferrari will need a strong strategy to recover in the race.
Midfield Drama: Hulkenberg and Tsunoda Impress
Nico Hulkenberg and Yuki Tsunoda were among the midfield stars, both drivers securing places in the top ten. Hulkenberg’s performance was particularly noteworthy, as he outqualified several faster cars, including both Ferraris.
Williams’ Franco Colapinto also put in a solid showing, narrowly missing out on Q3. The rookie’s pace continues to impress, even at tracks he’s never raced on before.
Eliminations: Ricciardo and Perez Struggle
Daniel Ricciardo’s tough weekend continued as he was eliminated in Q1, a surprise given the potential RB showed in practice. The Australian will start from 16th on the grid.
Sergio Perez also had a weekend to forget, failing to make it out of Q2 and qualifying down in 13th. Perez struggled with tyre issues throughout the session, leaving Red Bull with only one car in the top ten.
Be sure to tune in tomorrow for what promises to be an exciting Grand Prix! Lights out is at 20:00 local time.
1:30.984 min was the pole position time back in 2023 and was set by Carlos Sainz in the Ferrari SF-23 on the new track layout with three DRS zones instead of today's four..
Qualifying Times 2024 Singapore GP
| Pos | No | Driver | Team | Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Laps |
| 1 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1:30.002 | 1:30.007 | 1:29.525 | 16 |
| 2 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1:30.157 | 1:29.680 | 1:29.728 | 18 |
| 3 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:30.393 | 1:29.929 | 1:29.841 | 16 |
| 4 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:30.811 | 1:30.153 | 1:29.867 | 17 |
| 5 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1:30.258 | 1:29.640 | 1:29.953 | 18 |
| 6 | 27 | Nico Hülkenberg | Haas | 1:30.724 | 1:30.150 | 1:30.115 | 18 |
| 7 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1:30.684 | 1:30.450 | 1:30.214 | 17 |
| 8 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | Racing Bulls | 1:30.716 | 1:30.289 | 1:30.354 | 17 |
| 9 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:30.786 | 1:29.747 | DNF | 19 |
| 10 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:30.670 | 1:30.108 | DNS | 16 |
| 11 | 23 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1:30.679 | 1:30.474 | 12 | |
| 12 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams | 1:30.704 | 1:30.481 | 12 | |
| 13 | 11 | Sergio Pérez | Red Bull | 1:30.624 | 1:30.579 | 14 | |
| 14 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas | 1:30.829 | 1:30.653 | 12 | |
| 15 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine | 1:30.958 | 1:30.769 | 15 | |
| 16 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | Racing Bulls | 1:31.085 | 6 | ||
| 17 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1:31.094 | 6 | ||
| 18 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1:31.312 | 9 | ||
| 19 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Sauber | 1:31.572 | 9 | ||
| 20 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Sauber | 1:32.054 | 9 |
✅ Don't forget to check out our 2024 Singapore F1 Grand Prix preview info.
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Both Ferrari drivers messed up a high starting position, & a surprisingly good qualifying performance by Max.
Oscar was surprisingly slow in Q3, & unfortunately, I fear Lando will lose out on the opening lap yet again.
Finally, Checo reverted to his usual 2024 form.