Russell on pole, Verstappen in P2, sour McLaren's Singapore hopes

Verstappen confirmed his pace putting in the fastest lap of the session, with McLaren right behind. Nevertheless Oliver Bearman put in a blistering lap that saw him placed P2 behind the Red Bull Racing driver.

However, the Briton would be pipped later on by Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, with the seven-time world champion once again proving to be quicker than his teammate over a lap under the night lights of the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Isack Hadjar then beat Verstappen's time and claimed the top spot. But with the track improving, Lando Norris and Andrea Kimi Antonelli took P1 and P2 respectively demoting Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto to the drop zone, where Yuki Tsunoda found himself as well, in P20.

Verstappen opened the second part of qualifying with the best time of the weekend, a 1:29.747. As Leclerc had to abandon his lap, Hadjar finished his over three tenths slower than Verstappen. Russell placed behind the French Algerian and Fernando Alonso, with Norris placing third and Piastri taking second place. Antonelli had put in a time fast enough for P3, a one thousandth off the Australian McLaren driver's time.

However, the Stewards deleted the young Italian's lap for exceeding track limits at Turn 2, sending him straight to the back of the field.

In the last run of púsh laps, Antonelli managed to take P1, albeit briefly with Russell and Verstappen pipping the Mercedes rookie.

For Norris his effort was only good enough for P4 ahead of teammate Piastri in P5, with Leclerc fighting to make his way through the session, and doing so in P6 ahead of Hamilton, Hadjar, Fernando Alonso and Bearman.

Russell then set the timing sheets a-blaze with a 1:29.1 after brushing the wall coming out of Turn 17. Antonelli slotted in behind his teammate in P2, with Norris in P2, Hamilton in P4. However, Piastri demoted Antonelli, with Verstappen then beating Piastri in the fight for second place, with Russell seemingly beyond the rest of the pole position hopefuls' reach.

Norris failed to improve staying in P5, Russell improved and held provisional pole, Antonelli like Norris and Piastri failed to improve

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