Verstappen Takes Singapore GP Pole as Three Drivers Start Pit Lane

Max Verstappen will lead the field at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix after securing pole position in qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The Red Bull driver narrowly beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.054 seconds, putting him first for the night race, which is scheduled to start at 8 p.m. local time.

According to the official Formula 1 starting grid, Leclerc will line up second, followed by Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton in third. Championship leader Kimi Antonelli starts fourth for Mercedes, ahead of McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in fifth and sixth.

George Russell qualified between the two McLaren drivers on pace but will drop to the back of the grid because of engine change penalties. Pierre Gasly secured seventh for Alpine, while Racing Bulls drivers Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad took eighth and ninth. Audi's Nico Hulkenberg completes the top 10.

The starting order also includes three drivers who will begin from the pit lane following setup changes and power unit adjustments. Isack Hadjar failed to record a qualifying time after mechanical trouble affected his Red Bull during Q1, and subsequent changes mean he will not start from the regular grid.

Both Aston Martin drivers will also start from the pit lane after their team revised their car setups. Fernando Alonso qualified 17th and teammate Lance Stroll took 19th, while Alonso also received new power unit elements, according to Formula 1's official grid report.

The official qualifying times for the leading 10 drivers were as follows:

Verstappen's pole time of 1:31.373 gave him a margin of 0.054 seconds over Leclerc, while Hamilton finished 0.123 seconds behind the Red Bull driver. Antonelli was 0.189 seconds off pole as the leading four drivers remained within two-tenths of a second.

The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. local time, with Formula 1's live coverage set to start at 7 p.m.