Verstappen takes Singapore sprint pole after a one-lap gamble

Max Verstappen secured sprint pole in Singapore after completing just one flying lap on soft tyres in the final part of qualifying. The decision drew attention, but Pirelli says it is not enough on its own to account for the driver’s performance.

On Friday, Verstappen finished on top of a qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit for the first time in his Formula 1 career. The result will not officially be recorded as a pole position. The RB22 showed strength in the slow corners, which are plentiful around the street circuit, although Verstappen himself said he was surprised.

“It’s always close here in Singapore. You’re pushing as hard as you think is possible, close to the walls in places. Once we bolted on the soft tyres, it felt like the car was coming alive a little bit more, but I did not expect this,” the Dutchman said. He also acknowledged that the circuit exposed some weaknesses in the car, particularly over bumps and kerbs, despite stronger form in the previous two races.

Verstappen’s sprint pole came with a 0.120-second margin over George Russell. Pirelli noted three different strategies among the top three in the final segment: Verstappen went out, completed a preparation lap and then pushed, while Russell and Charles Leclerc used additional cooling phases. Chief engineer Simone Berra said the low tyre degradation and the ability to recover performance meant several approaches could work well.

“I don’t think that one of the three approaches was best compared to the others, honestly. It’s just a matter of how the car performed and also driver-related,” Berra said. He added that drivers build confidence lap by lap on a street circuit. Pirelli also judged that Verstappen was ultimately fastest on merit: the different run plans could not fully explain his advantage.

Red Bull’s aim was to use the tyres’ peak performance when the track conditions were at their best. But the Singapore street circuit offered less grip than Pirelli had expected because of the dust. Team principal Laurent Mekies said Red Bull's ability to earn sprint pole on merit was especially heartening in light of the circuit's bumpy conditions on Friday.