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Qualifying report

Singapore GP: Leclerc beats Hamilton to pole by 0.191s

Charles Leclerc claimed a surprise third consecutive Formula 1 pole position after outpacing Lewis Hamilton by 0.191s.

Pole sitter Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Pole sitter Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

Zak Mauger / Motorsport Images

With Ferrari's aerodynamic upgrades giving it a significant boost in performance around a circuit that even the team expected would not suit it, Sebastian Vettel set the pace on the first runs in Q3.

But Vettel's second attempt was scruffy, resulting in him aborting to the pits, leaving the way for Leclerc to claim pole position.

After the lap, he claimed over the radio that he lost control three times on the lap in what was a superb attacking performance.

Vettel's final-run struggles allowed Hamilton to secure second place on his final lap, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen ending up fourth and almost four tenths behind Vettel.

Valtteri Bottas was fifth for Mercedes ahead of Red Bull's Alex Albon, with neither driver able to threaten their teammates.

McLaren led the way in the midfield battle, with Carlos Sainz taking seventh place ahead of the Renault of Daniel Ricciardo.

Nico Hulkenberg was ninth in the second Renault, 0.065s quicker than the second McLaren of Lando Norris.

Racing Point's Sergio Perez jumped up to 11th at the end of Q2, but missed out on beating Hulkenberg to a Q3 spot by four hundredths of a second.

Perez has a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change thanks to damage sustained in an FP3 crash, meaning he is currently set to start 16th.

Behind him, Antonio Giovinazzi and Pierre Gasly both failed to improve on their second runs and ended up 12th and 13th respectively but both well within a tenth of Perez's time.

Gasly reported over the radio that he was struggling with the rear after completing his final lap, during which he grazed the wall.

Alfa Romeo driver Kimi Raikkonen was 14th after setting his best time on his second Q2 run, having slapped the wall with both left-hand-side wheels on his first attempt.

Haas driver Kevin Magnussen was slowest of those in Q2, lapping eight tenths behind Raikkonen.

Toro Rosso driver Daniil Kvyat was the quickest of those eliminated in Q1 in 16th having failed to improve on his time set during the first runs.

He was up after the first sector, but lost time thereafter meaning he was unable to recover from Perez bumping him into the drop-zone – although he was only 0.015s slower than Magnussen, who did make it through Q1.

Lance Stroll was 17th after only finding 0.209s on his second run in the Racing Point after several light brushes of the wall, which was enough to put him three tenths clear of Haas driver Romain Grosjean.

George Russell had to abort his final attempt after running wide at the exit of Turn 7, although his first-run time was good enough to put him 19th ahead of Williams teammate Robert Kubica by three tenths.

Cla Driver Chassis Time Gap
1 Monaco Charles Leclerc Ferrari 1'36.217  
2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton Mercedes 1'36.408 0.191
3 Germany Sebastian Vettel Ferrari 1'36.437 0.220
4 Netherlands Max Verstappen Red Bull 1'36.813 0.596
5 Finland Valtteri Bottas Mercedes 1'37.146 0.929
6 Thailand Alex Albon Red Bull 1'37.411 1.194
7 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr. McLaren 1'37.818 1.601
8 Australia Daniel Ricciardo Renault 1'38.095 1.878
9 Germany Nico Hulkenberg Renault 1'38.264 2.047
10 United Kingdom Lando Norris McLaren 1'38.329 2.112
11 Mexico Sergio Perez Racing Point 1'38.620 2.403
12 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi Alfa Romeo 1'38.697 2.480
13 France Pierre Gasly Toro Rosso 1'38.699 2.482
14 Finland Kimi Raikkonen Alfa Romeo 1'38.858 2.641
15 Denmark Kevin Magnussen Haas 1'39.650 3.433
16 Russian Federation Daniil Kvyat Toro Rosso 1'39.957 3.740
17 Canada Lance Stroll Racing Point 1'39.979 3.762
18 France Romain Grosjean Haas 1'40.277 4.060
19 United Kingdom George Russell Williams 1'40.867 4.650
20 Poland Robert Kubica Williams 1'41.186 4.969

 

Cla Driver Chassis Time Gap
1 Monaco Charles Leclerc
Ferrari 1'36.217
2 United Kingdom Lewis Hamilton
Mercedes 1'36.408 0.191
3 Germany Sebastian Vettel
Ferrari 1'36.437 0.220
4 Netherlands Max Verstappen
Red Bull 1'36.813 0.596
5 Finland Valtteri Bottas
Mercedes 1'37.146 0.929
6 Thailand Alex Albon
Red Bull 1'37.411 1.194
7 Spain Carlos Sainz Jr.
McLaren 1'37.818 1.601
8 Australia Daniel Ricciardo
Renault 1'38.095 1.878
9 Germany Nico Hulkenberg
Renault 1'38.264 2.047
10 United Kingdom Lando Norris
McLaren 1'38.329 2.112
11 Italy Antonio Giovinazzi
Alfa Romeo 1'38.697 2.480
12 France Pierre Gasly
Toro Rosso 1'38.699 2.482
13 Finland Kimi Raikkonen
Alfa Romeo 1'38.858 2.641
14 Denmark Kevin Magnussen
Haas 1'39.650 3.433
15 Russian Federation Daniil Kvyat
Toro Rosso 1'39.957 3.740
16 Mexico Sergio Perez
Racing Point 1'38.620 2.403
17 Canada Lance Stroll
Racing Point 1'39.979 3.762
18 France Romain Grosjean
Haas 1'40.277 4.060
19 United Kingdom George Russell
Williams 1'40.867 4.650
20 Poland Robert Kubica
Williams 1'41.186 4.969

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