Max Verstappen’s one-lap gamble – and what Pirelli reveals about his Singapore sprint pole
Although it will not officially go down in the history books as a pole position, Friday in Singapore did produce a first: for the first time in his Formula 1 career, Max Verstappen finished a qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on top. It underlines the RB22’s strength in slow-speed corners, of which there are plenty around the Singapore street track, although Verstappen ... Keep…
Max Verstappen secured a surprising Singapore sprint pole position for the Formula 1 Singapore GP, setting the fastest time in qualifying despite acknowledging that his Red Bull RB22 still had a few weaknesses on the challenging street circuit. Pirelli's chief engineer, Simone Berra, noted that three drivers - Verstappen, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc - approached the final segment of the session with different strategies, ultimately resulting in a narrow 0.120-second margin between Verstappen and Russell.
Berra explained that Red Bull's approach of maximizing tyre performance at peak times may have contributed to Verstappen's advantage, but also credited the driver's mindset and ability to adapt throughout the session. The varied approaches taken by the top three drivers illustrate the difficulties teams face in optimizing car performance on Singapore's notoriously bumpy and dusty street circuit.
Verstappen's pole position appears to be a testament to the team's ability to adapt under tough conditions, as highlighted by Ferrari principal Laurent Mekies.
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