Follow Mail Sport’s live blog on qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix as Ferrari look to turn a strong weekend into a good qualifying performance with the Red Bulls off the pace.
red flag
Qualifying will be stopped immediately as repair work on the Aston Martin begins. Stroll climbs out of his car and is put into a medical car while other drivers return to the pits.
The Aston Martin driver will thank the power of his car afterwards as it was a huge crash that could easily have caused serious injuries. Luckily he’s okay.
Lance Stroll crashes
Oh no, that’s a huge crash as Lance Stroll hits the barrier coming out of the final corner and heading back onto the home straight. His car is destroyed when the left front of the vehicle disappears into the barrier.
The good news is that Stroll uses the microphone to tell the pit wall that everything is fine and that a deep clean will now begin.
Yuki Tsunoda goes the fastest
Brilliant drive from the Alpha Tauri driver as he sets a fastest lap in 1.31.9 and is in danger of missing out on OscaRrPiastri.
Cut-off expected at 1.32.5
The forecast for the Q1 cut-off time is 1.32.5. As a result, both WIlliams and Haas drivers seem likely to miss out. Just enough time for the drivers to complete the last flying laps.
Ferrari back on top
Sainz sets a time of 1.32.3 and goes above Verstappen, while Leclerc rises to third place. Russell is currently fourth with Norris close behind him. Not much from Hamilton so far.
Max Verstappen goes fastest
The times are now starting to rise as Verstappen takes some fun through the middle sector and moves to the front. Ferrari looks fast though…
Who is in danger of missing out?
There is plenty of time to mix up the order, but five drivers are currently at risk of missing out at the end of the first quarter.
Those currently at risk are:
All 20 cars are now on the track
Everyone is on track now and we are waiting for some lap times, especially Fernando Alonso. There is a lot of traffic that drivers have to watch out for when trying to set a flying lap.
George Russell sets fastest lap
Russell sets a new fastest lap with a time of 1.32.4, but Hamilton is off the pace and only manages to set the fifth fastest time on the street circuit. Another 10 minutes after the first session.
Ferrari looks comfortable
Leclerc hits the top of the deck as he comes in with a time of 1.32.52, beating Norris with Sainz not far behind. Mercedes is now also on the track.
The times are starting to fly in
Nico Hulkenberg and Liam Lawson record the first lap times before Lando Norris sets an opening lap of 1.32.5. Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen fail to improve his time, but do set the second and third fastest times.
Lando Norris heads out for his first round
The McLaren driver was in the top three in the last practice session and is now on the track. Just over half of the twenty drivers are now on the circuit.
A queue forms in the pit lane
During qualifying the drivers usually appear sporadically, but everyone seems keen to keep going. Red Bull, Ferrair and Alfa Romeo line up one behind the other as Lewis Hamilton waits to emerge from his Mercedes garage.
Ferrari took to the track
The two Ferrari drivers Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc are the first to emerge from the garages. The Italian team dominated in practice and is tipped to qualify on pole.
Here we go…
Here come the drivers, the track is dry and we are ready to get started. Expect most drivers to appear on soft tires given the lack of speed on this circuit’s new surface.
Qualifying to start in FIVE minutes
The drivers undergo their final checks and get into their cars as qualifying gets underway in five minutes. This will be one of the most competitive qualifying sessions of the year, so stay tuned and don’t miss a moment!
Sebastian Vettel teases possible return to F1
Sebastian Vettel is teasing a possible return to Formula 1 after announcing his retirement last year.
The four-time world champion is enjoying some time off the sport after leaving Aston Martin, but has confirmed he is interested in a possible return to the circuit.
Speak with air sports, Vettel said: ‘I can’t say no because you don’t know, I don’t rule it out, but it will depend on when, because at the age of 36 you can’t say that in ten years because time will pass. It’s not in my head right now.’
Did Red Bull listen to ‘FUMING’ Max?
It’s safe to say that the reigning world champion was not happy with his car in practice. In fact, the Dutch driver criticized the way his vehicle adapted to the street circuit.
READ THE FULL STORY BELOW
Ferrari strongest in final training
The practice sessions should be taken with a grain of salt, but the first signs show that Ferrari could be fastest in qualifying. Carlos Sainz put Ferrari on pole for the final Grand Prix in Italy and was fastest again in the final practice session earlier today,
British duo George Russell and Lando Norris followed ahead of Mercedes and McLaren, while Max Verstappen was fourth slowest during practice.
Red Bull may be saving themselves for qualifying, but expect Ferrari to mount a challenge.
The evening session adds a new dimension to qualifying
It is currently 8:37 PM in Singapore and that means the drivers are taking to the track for an evening qualifying session. The street circuit is illuminated by strong floodlights, but it certainly adds another dimension to qualifying.
The tires may take longer to warm up and there are parts of the circuit where even the best drivers used to come out.
How does qualification work?
Qualifying is the precursor to the main race day, but it is crucial to prepare yourself for success in the Grand Prix.
The positions each driver finishes in qualifying will determine their grid position on Sunday. There is extra pressure to qualify high on the grid in Singapore, because it is much more difficult to overtake on the street circuit than on other circuits.
Qulafiying is split into three different sessions where the drivers try to set their fastest possible lap.
The five slowest drivers are eliminated after Q1, with five more leaving at the end of Q2, with the final ten drivers setting their fastest times for the top 10 on the grid in Q3.
Important qualification information
It’s hard to believe that we are already in round 16 of the world championship this year and that Max Verstappen is getting closer to a third title with Red Bull.
Qualifying starts at 2pm, with drivers already on the Marina Bay street circuit preparing for what promises to be an intense qualifying session that will determine tomorrow’s grid.
Welcome to qualifying in Singapore
Hello and welcome to Singapore for this weekend’s qualifying session. Can Max Verstappen still take a predictable pole? Will McLaren continue to challenge Red Bull? Can Lewis Hamilton surprise everyone with a first pole of the season? All that will be answered in about 40 minutes.
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