Carlos Sainz clinched pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix with a stunning lap of 1:30.984.
George Russell came in second with an equally impressive lap, only 0.072 off the Spaniard. Leclerc rounded off the top 3, underlining Ferrari’s strong pace.
CARLOS SAINZ TAKES BACK-TO-BACK POLES!@Carlossainz55 lights up the streets of Marina Bay to take his second pole in a row for @ScuderiaFerrari!#SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/FxNCb2uTSc
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 16, 2023
Less than a tenth separated the front three drivers, as Lando Norris followed them in 4th with the Mercedes in Hamilton in 5th.
However, the real shock of qualifying came as early as Q2, when both Red Bulls struggling for grip, struggling for traction were not able to get into the top 10. Max Verstappen just missed out in 11th, while Sergio Perez slotted in 13th after a spin on his final run.
To further compound the misery for the world champions, Verstappen is under investigation for impeding Yuki Tsunoda so he may find himself even further back.
An unforgettable qualifying session#SingaporeGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/NZUwISLhDx
— Formula 1 (@F1) September 16, 2023
Lance Stroll had a huge crash in Q1, bringing out the red flags for lengthy amount of time. Luckily, the Canadian emerged unscathed after the incident.