McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, centre, celebrates his pole place with second positioned Pink Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands, left, and third positioned Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain after qualifying session of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Avenue Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photograph/Vincent Thian)
SINGAPORE— Benefit Lando Norris, however not by a lot.
Components 1’s two fundamental title contenders will begin collectively on the entrance row on the Singapore Grand Prix as Norris edged forward of his title rival Max Verstappen in qualifying on Saturday.
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The session changed into a one-lap shootout for the highest positions when a crash for Carlos Sainz Jr. interrupted the ultimate session on a troubled day for Ferrari.
“I used to be discovering it slightly tough to progress a lot and to get quite a lot of lap time and extra of the blokes round appeared to get faster and faster,” Norris mentioned.
READ: F1: McLaren set to favor Lando Norris over Oscar Piastri
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“So it put me below slightly bit extra strain, particularly with only one lap on the finish, nevertheless it was ok for pole and I’m pleased with that.”
The McLaren driver was .203 of a second forward of Verstappen to start out on pole, with Lewis Hamilton third for Mercedes, .316 off Norris’ time.
McLaren driver Lando Norris of Britain, left, talks with second positioned Pink Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands after qualifying session of the Singapore F1 Grand Prix on the Marina Bay Avenue Circuit, in Singapore, Saturday, Sept. 21, 2024. (AP Photograph/Vincent Thian)
Pole place for Norris was a distinction to qualifying in Azerbaijan final week, when he was fifteenth on the grid after a yellow flag warning ruined his lap, however recovered to complete fourth, forward of Verstappen.
Verstappen, who mentioned he was pleased with second after struggling for grip in apply in his Pink Bull, leads Norris within the standings by 59 factors. There are seven rounds of the championship remaining, together with Sunday’s race. A front-row begin means Verstappen might restrict the harm to his lead even when Norris wins.
Verstappen has by no means gained in Singapore, which was additionally the one observe the place the all-conquering Pink Bull group didn’t win final season.
READ: McLaren bumps Pink Bull off its throne in F1 championship race
Hamilton had his finest qualifying consequence because the British Grand Prix in July — which he went on to win — in a season the place the seven-time champion has struggled for single-lap tempo.
“Qualifying has been a catastrophe for me all 12 months lengthy and I’ve simply been working and dealing and dealing, attempting to get myself again up there,” he mentioned. “Swiftly the automobile got here alive in qualifying for the primary time in a very long time.”
Norris’ teammate Oscar Piastri, the winner in Azerbaijan final week, was solely fifth after going slower within the top-10 session than he had earlier in qualifying.
After Hamilton, Mercedes additionally had George Russell fourth in one in all its higher qualifying classes this 12 months, nevertheless it was a day to overlook for Ferrari as Charles Leclerc had his lap time deleted within the last session for going off observe and Sainz crashed.
Sainz, the Singapore winner in 2023, spun into the wall in what he known as a “massive snap” of the steering, presumably attributable to chilly tires. The automobile was left with harm to the rear finish and Sainz, who appeared unharmed, certified tenth.
Verstappen’s teammate Sergio Perez was solely thirteenth in one other disappointing consequence this season.
Daniel Ricciardo certified sixteenth, eight locations behind teammate Yuki Tsunoda, because the Australian’s place with RB comes below risk. Pink Bull’s second group might substitute Ricciardo with reserve driver Liam Lawson for the final six rounds of the championship, ranging from the US Grand Prix subsequent month.
