Singapore Qualifying Breakdown
With the Qualifying set, the Singapore Grand Prix is only hours away, so let’s take a look at the qualifying session and how it may affect the results of this week's race. Starting with the clear question on everyone’s mind, who was Pole? This week Lando Norris came out on top, just beating Max Verstappen by .202 seconds. Following Verstappen in second position, we have Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in the second row. This puts Mercedes in a solid spot to receive points and even win this Grand Prix if Lando gives up Pole on the first lap, which has been pretty consistent throughout this season.
In addition to the front four, we have Oscar Piastri taking the fifth position, with an impressive sixth-position performance for the Haas team with driver Nico Hulkenberg, who has consistently placed in third-stage qualifying this season. Following Hulkenberg is Fernando Alonso, the former World Drivers Champion, with Yuki Tsunoda taking eighth position. Yuki’s teammate Daniel Riccardo did not perform as well, being eliminated in first-stage qualifying and starting tomorrow's race in 16th position. Both Ferrari drivers had a terrible qualifying, with both reaching third-stage qualifying, and Carlos Sainz crashing into the barriers during his speed lap. The driver had been noted to have complained about the tire grip during the lap, with that crash he’ll round out the top 10. Charles Leclerc, recorded no lap time during the last session, putting him in ninth position.
Sergio Perez, who had a great race minus the crash in Baku, seems to have slipped once again, only making it to second-stage qualifying and will start behind both Williams who is in position 11th and 12th respectively. This will be interesting to watch as we head into the race, as Perez has underperformed for the majority of the season and has struggled to regain positions. The ones to watch this week will be Oscar Piastri, who has been a significant racer with extraordinary consistency for passing the competition, as well as the top-of-the-grid Lando Norris and Verstappen as they battle for the title. Lastly, Nico Hulkenberg, who with his impressive display puts him in a great position to secure points for the Haas racing team. The Singapore race starts tomorrow, and with the Constructors and Drivers Championship yet to be decided, it should certainly be a race to watch.
