Motorsports
Leclerc on pole position in Singapore, Verstappen in 8th place
Charles Leclerc took pole position at the Singapore GP, with Verstappen missing his final lap to start eighth on Sunday. Perez second, Hamilton third.
Charles Leclerc will have the upper hand in Sunday’s Singapore GP race. The Monegasque was fastest in qualifying with a time of 1:49.412, followed by Perez and Hamilton.
Verstappen, who did not complete his last lap, will start from 8th place. In fact, he was told to enter the seats, which infuriated the Dutchman.
Charles Leclerc clinched his ninth pole position of the year for round 17 of Formula 1 in Singapore in an unusual qualifying session that started on wet tarmac – necessitating intermediate rain tires in the first two sessions.
In Q3, however, almost everyone lined up with slicks – soft dry rubber – and those who didn’t soon returned to the pits to fit them. But with the wet conditions and low temperatures at night, heating up the slicks proved difficult as drivers stayed behind for consecutive laps and times steadily dropped as the tarmac dried.
With fresh, soft rubber (except for Carlos Sainz, who defied Ferrari’s pit stop order), after consecutive fastest personal laps of all that changed the standings – also putting Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso on top – finished Charles Leclerc in the lead – only Max Verstappen remained to complete his last two fast laps.
On the first of those laps, the Dutchman was just close to Leclerc’s time, but when the order came over the radio to return to the pits and abort both that lap and the next, the champion reacted angrily and yelled at his mechanic – who tried to calm him down Him.
According to initial reports, Verstappen was given the RBR order because the team realized he didn’t have enough fuel to complete his next fast lap and then another to return to the pits. And if he ran out of fuel on the track, he had to start from last place. So RBR decided to play it safe and risk-free.
After all, he had nothing to lose: the scenario of Verstappen winning the title in Singapore this year, in which the Dutchman should have won and Leclerc should have finished 8th, was far-fetched anyway.
Nobody knows if Max would have taken pole position away from Leclerc on his final lap – who was ultimately relieved by the choice of slick tires in Q3: “These qualifications hid many pitfalls. In Q3 we didn’t know what to do, we opted for the slick soft tires at the last minute.
I made a mistake on my last lap and didn’t think we would get pole, but it was enough. Given the Friday we had, we reacted well. We don’t have enough data for the race but I’m sure we can win.” said the Monegasque.
With no fuel issues at the end, Sergio Perez in the other RB18 finished second ahead of Lewis Hamilton in the Brit’s most competitive performance of the year at a track suitable for the Mercedes W13. Lewis ended up looking like a threat for pole position but lost time on the slow corners of Marina Bay’s third section.
He was joined on the second row by Saint, who may be wondering what would have happened if he had run on fresh, soft tyres, while on the third row will be the all-weather Fernando Alonso with Alpine and Lando Norris with McLaren.
Verstappen will start eighth with his early retirement – despite being far from pole in three of his five wins in as many recent GPs.
The big surprise of Q2 was the disqualification of George Russell, who lost his brakes on his first attempt and was 6 milliseconds behind Haas’ Kevin Magnussen. Finally, in Q1, Esteban Ocon retired with problems with the brakes on his Alpine A522
Source: sport 24
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According to reports in the Italian media, the Ferrari team has made a decision about race engineer Lewis Hamilton for the 2026 season.
Riccardo Adami has been working with the seven-time world champion since the Briton moved to the Scuderia in January 2025. But there were a few strange and resonant radio conversations between them throughout the season.
During the Australian Grand Prix, Hamilton appeared confused by the lack of information from his engineer, and at the Miami round he reacted strongly to the situation, issuing team orders and advising the team to “drink some tea” after Charles Leclerc refused to let him pass.
At the Monaco Grand Prix, Riccardo Adami asked Hamilton: “Are you mad at me?” There was another incident where he ignored her request. Ferrari later announced that the engineer had left the pit wall at that time.
A similar situation was repeated after the last race of the season. During the radio exchange, Hamilton thanked the team and the race engineer for their cooperation, but received no response. The Briton then asked if they had heard him and received an explanation that the team were talking to each other at the time.
At the end of the season, team principal Fred Vasser said the Scuderia would review Hamilton’s inner circle to improve their results. And it looks like the decision has already been made.
According to Italian publication Auto Racer, Ferrari has decided to retain Riccardo Adami as Hamilton’s race engineer for 2026. The most important reason for this was a “very positive” private dinner between the pilot and the engineer.
The team expects to take a serious step forward in 2026 in light of new technical regulations. Next season could be decisive for Hamilton because 2026 is considered the last year of his current contract with Ferrari.
His first season in the Scuderia was a difficult one for the Briton. Hamilton finished the championship in sixth place using the problematic SF-25 car, but lost 86 points to his teammate.
Hamilton went a season without a podium for the first time in his career, while Leclerc scored seven goals. Of particular concern was the seven-time champion’s deteriorating qualifying form later in the year.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Max Verstappen admitted he has been pleasantly surprised by how fans have supported him throughout the 2025 season as he chases an improbable fifth Formula 1 title.
For most of the year, the Dutch driver was not seen as a real challenger for the championship as McLaren dominated the top of the peloton. After the Dutch Grand Prix at the end of August, Verstappen was 104 points behind the leader in the standings, having led nine stages.
But in the following races, the Red Bull driver gradually closed the gap and unexpectedly received significant support from the fans – unlike previous seasons, he confidently rushed to the championships without any serious intrigue.
Commenting on the change in the fans’ attitude, Verstappen admitted that it surprised him:
“It’s weird. Of course, when you find yourself being the underdog, people start to support you more.
But maybe they’re finally starting to understand who I really am.”
As a result, Verstappen was only two points behind the championship title; McLaren driver Lando Norris won the crown.
The Dutch actor also denied that his character had changed in any way over the past year. According to him, he has always remained true to himself and his principles:
“I’m not trying to be fake in the paddock or anywhere else. It’s not about me.”
It’s easy to forget when you have so much success in Formula 1. That’s why it’s important to have people around you who can tell you the truth if you start acting weird.
“I’m lucky to have a wonderful family and true friends.”
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
Mercedes Formula 1 team president Toto Wolff believes that driver George Russell is ready to become a champion, but young Andrea Kimi Antonelli still needs time.
“Nobody knows how much power the Mercedes engine will have in 2026. We don’t know what the other teams’ engines will be like either. Is Russell ready to take the championship if given the right car? 100%, absolutely ready. There is nothing to add here. He is ready to be champion.”
“Antonelli is only 19 years old. What kind of peak are we talking about? He can be at the peak after 3-5 seasons. I believe we should give him this time to gain experience.”
“It’s moving in the right direction,” Wolff said.
F1 will have new technical regulations on engines and aerodynamics from the 2026 season.
Source: Sport UA
Ruth Waterhouse is an author and sports journalist who writes for Sportish. She is known for her coverage of various sports events and her insightful analysis of sports-related news. With a passion for sports and a keen eye for detail, she has become a respected voice in the sports community.
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