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Formula 1 Singapore GP

F1 Singapore GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & qualifying

Saturday's action from the Marina Bay circuit ahead of the Singapore GP

By: Haydn Cobb, Stephen Lickorish, Megan White

Stopped
Summary:
  • Leclerc grabs Singapore GP pole ahead of Perez
  • Verstappen qualifies eighth after he mysteriously pits when on course for pole in bizarre end to the session
  • Hamilton takes third, just 0.054s slower than Leclerc
  • Out in Q2: Russell, Stroll, Schumacher, Vettel, Zhou
  • Out in Q1: Bottas, Ricciardo, Ocon, Albon, Latifi
Leaderboard
  1. Leclerc, Ferrari
  2. Perez, Red Bull
  3. Hamilton, Mercedes
  4. Sainz, Ferrari
  5. Alonso, Alpine
  6. Norris, McLaren
  7. Gasly, AlphaTauri
  8. Verstappen, Red Bull
  9. Magnussen, Haas
  10. Tsunoda, AlphaTauri
Checkered flag
It's time to find out the hows and whys of qualifying, so we'll wrap up this live coverage for today. Tomorrow's Singapore GP starts at 1pm BST so make a note of that because you won't want to miss it. Until then, go well!
Three different teams in the top three, Verstappen in eighth set to fight back with his nearest title rival Leclerc on pole. That qualifying drama sets up the race tomorrow pretty well, no?
Breaking news
Here's the full report on an enthralling Singapore GP qualifying: 

https://www.autosport.com/f1/news/f1-singapore-gp-leclerc-takes-pole-as-verstappen-finishes-eighth/10377607/
The question that needs answering is why Red Bull ordered Verstappen to pit before finishing his final Q3 lap. It looks like he was about to run out of fuel, which would have DQ'd him from qualifying entirely and meant a back of the grid drop.
This will be Hamilton's first top-three start of the season, which given his qualifying record across his career is a big surprise.
Quote
Leclerc on his Singapore GP pole: "It has been a very, very tricky qualifying. We went for softs at the very last minute. I did a mistake on my last lap so I didn't think I'd get pole."
Quote
"What the f***? What the f***? What is this about?" Verstappen demands from his team after being told to pit. The reply is he'll be told about it out of the car - so the watching world cannot listen in.
Checkered flag
Leclerc takes pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix! Perez will join him on the front row, with Hamilton in third.
Verstappen gives up on his final lap and pits! He will start from eighth place, but he was told to pit while on his final lap! What happened there?
Hamilton goes third, 0.054s off Leclerc, who has provisional pole unless Verstappen can deny him.
Perez gets himself up to second, ahead of Sainz and Norris, with times changing all the time!
Verstappen, tiptoeing around the final sector, looks set to take pole but backs out of the lap to give himself one more flying lap.
Stopwatch
Alonso goes provisional pole with a 1m50.737s! But again he's beaten by Leclerc with a 1m49.412s!
Into the closing stages of qualifying and Hamilton remains on provisional pole from both Red Bulls and both Ferraris. Tsunoda makes the belated switch to softs, as Magnussen also on softs goes eighth.
Verstappen comes inches away from throwing it into the wall but somehow keeps it on the road to go second, 0.376s off Hamilton's provisional pole time.
Yellow flag
Gasly runs off track which ruins his lap and brings out a brief period of yellow flags.
Stopwatch
Alonso goes quickest, until Leclerc beats him and then Hamilton beats them both with a 1m51.019s!
Verstappen's second effort puts him second, but he's still 1.2s off Hamilton's leading lap.
Stopwatch
Hamilton puts it on provisional pole, on the softs, with a 1m53.082s. That puts him two seconds faster than nearest rival Tsunoda who is on the inters.
Verstappen's first effort on the softs is four seconds slower than his Q2 times on the inters. Is it too early?
The track looks dry through the first two sectors but it is the final part of the lap which isn't giving up its moisture. This will be a real test for the drivers.
Eight out of 10 drivers are on softs, only Tsunoda and Magnussen are not taking the dry tyres for their first Q3 runs.
Well, Leclerc will be on the softs, but he's delayed by having inters initially on his car. Oddly, Sainz was already equipped with the softs and is on his merry way.
Lights green
Q3 time - and Verstappen and Leclerc are on the slicks from the start.
Quote
"Sorry about that I really struggled. Exactly the same issue as in practice," Russell reports over team radio. That Mercedes just cannot get temperature into the tyres, a story of its season.
The soft tyre switch was exciting but ultimately ill-advised as Stroll, Vettel and Zhou all drop out in that session. But with conditions improving slowly, will any of the Q3 contenders make the same gamble?
Vettel, on his final flying lap, locked up down the back straight and ran off track. Out in Q2: P11 Russell, P12 Stroll, P13 Schumacher, P14 Vettel, P15 Zhou.
Checkered flag
...Russell is out in Q2! He gets beaten by Magnussen by 0.006s and will start the Singapore GP in 11th place.
Schumacher can't repeat his Q1 escape act and he drops out. Lap times changing all the time and Russell has been pushed down to 11th...
Last chance time in Q2 and those on softs are struggling. Tsunoda goes from 15th to sixth to give him a great chance to make Q3.
At the top Hamilton goes second quickest, 0.348s off Leclerc. They both look safely into Q3.