Verstappen wins wet Singapore sprint, then takes first pole there by 0.054s
Representative image: Picudio / Pixabay
Max Verstappen won the wet Singapore sprint and took his first Singapore Grand Prix pole on October 10, 2026, just 0.054s ahead of Charles Leclerc.
What Happened
Max Verstappen took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time in his career on Saturday, October 10, 2026, hours after winning the weekend's sprint race in wet conditions at the Marina Bay street circuit. His best qualifying lap of 1 minute 31.373 seconds was just 0.054 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, with Leclerc's team-mate Lewis Hamilton third. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth and Lando Norris fifth. In the sprint earlier in the day, George Russell crashed out from the lead at the end of the opening lap, and Verstappen went on to win ahead of Hamilton and Leclerc. The main race is on Sunday, October 11.
Key Facts
- Verstappen's pole lap was 1:31.373, 0.054 seconds ahead of Charles Leclerc.
- It is Verstappen's first pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.
- The top five on the grid: Verstappen, Leclerc, Hamilton, Antonelli, Norris.
- Verstappen also won the wet sprint race on Saturday, with Hamilton second and Leclerc third.
- George Russell, who led the sprint, crashed out at the end of the first lap.
- Verstappen had also started the sprint from pole after sprint qualifying.
- The Singapore Grand Prix race is scheduled for Sunday, October 11, 2026.
Why It Matters
Pole position in Singapore had eluded Verstappen until this weekend. Marina Bay is a street circuit lined with walls, where a small error can end a session, so starting at the front matters. His double on Saturday, a sprint win and pole for the main race, puts him in the strongest position going into Sunday.
The margin, though, was tiny. Five hundredths of a second separated him from Leclerc, and both Ferraris are on the next two grid slots. That sets up a contest between Verstappen and the two Ferrari drivers at the start and in the pit-stop phase, when strategy can change positions. Hamilton's second place in the sprint also showed Ferrari's pace in the wet.
For Russell, the day was costly. Leading a sprint and crashing out on the opening lap means lost points that he cannot recover this weekend except through a strong main race. Weather may still play a part: the sprint was held on a wet track, and changing conditions in Singapore can reshuffle a race very quickly.
Indian fans will be watching the main race on Sunday evening India time, with Verstappen and the two Ferraris set to fight for the lead from the first corner.
| Session (October 10) | Winner | Second | Third |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sprint race | Max Verstappen | Lewis Hamilton | Charles Leclerc |
| Grand Prix qualifying | Max Verstappen | Charles Leclerc | Lewis Hamilton |
Impact
Short-term: Verstappen starts Sunday's race from pole with the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton right behind him.
Long-term: Points from the sprint and the race will feed into the championship standings as the season continues.
Who is affected: Verstappen and his team, Ferrari's Leclerc and Hamilton, Russell after his sprint crash, and fans following the title race.
Key Takeaway
Verstappen won Singapore's wet sprint and then took his first pole there by 0.054 seconds, with both Ferraris close behind for Sunday's race.
Questions and Answers
Who is on pole for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix?
Max Verstappen, with a lap of 1:31.373, his first pole position in Singapore.
Who won the Singapore sprint race?
Verstappen won the wet sprint on October 10, 2026, ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc.
What happened to George Russell in the sprint?
Russell was leading but crashed out at the end of the opening lap.
When is the Singapore Grand Prix race?
The race is on Sunday, October 11, 2026.
Disclaimer: Prepared by the Peepals newsroom from publicly available sources with AI assistance. Information is accurate to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication and may change. Images may be representative. Not professional advice. Report an error via our contact page.
Sourced and fact-checked by the Peepals Global Editorial Team
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