Lando Norris kept up the pressure on championship leader Max Verstappen after claiming pole position in the Singapore Grand Prix with the Red Bull driver starting second on the grid for Sunday's race.
Seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton qualified third with his Mercedes teammate George Russell fourth and McLaren's Oscar Piastri – who won last time out in Azerbaijan – could only manager fifth.
Under the thousand of bulbs that light up the Marina Bay circuit, McLaren driver Norris posted a dazzling lap to beat rival Verstappen by 0.203 seconds. The Dutchman leads Norris by 59 points with seven rounds remaining and 206 points to play for.
“It was tough especially through qualifying I was finding it a little difficult to progress much and to get a lot of lap time,” said Norris who sealed his fifth pole of the season.
“All the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker so it put me under a bit more pressure especially with just one lap at the end.
“It was good enough for pole and I’m happy with that, especially here in Singapore, it’s a good feeling. I’ve felt good all weekend, I’ve felt confident, maybe not so much in qualifying but we got the job done.”
Verstappen has never been on pole here and never won and he arrived in the city-state on a seven-race winless streak, a statistic that would have been considered inconceivable at the beginning of the year when he opened his bid for a fourth world title with seven victories from the opening 10.
However, the Dutchman will be delighted to join Norris on the front row, particularly given Sergio Perez could manage only 13th in the other Red Bull.
Verstappen, only 15th in practice on Friday, said: “I am happy to be on the front row when you look at where we came from.
“I will take second. Tomorrow it will be difficult to say. Singapore, a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot.”
Hamilton, three tenths back from Norris, added: “Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long and I’ve just been working and working trying to get back up there. The car all of a sudden came alive in qualifying for the first time in a while, it’s a little bit of a shame because we were getting into a rhythm, the same for all of us.
“Getting that lap at the end was a little bit tricky but there was a tiny bit more left in the car. The mechanics we’ve been moving up and down on balance changing everything each day, the mechanics have just been faultless. I hope we are in a good position to fight for the front tomorrow.”
Hulkenberg starts sixth with Fernando Alonso seventh for Aston Martin and Yuki Tsunoda eighth for RB.
But it was a disastrous session for Ferrari, for whom Carlos Sainz won in Singapore last year.
The Spaniard forced the session to be stopped with a crash early on at the start of his first flying lap and will start 10th while teammate Charles Leclerc had his lap time deleted for exceeding track limits and was ninth. “I don't know if it was cold tyres, dirty air or I was … big snap,” said Sainz over the team radio after his crash.
Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez qualified 13th, the same position he had on the grid in Singapore last year before finishing eighth, on a disappointing night for a driver whose best results have been on street circuits.
Williams drivers Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto will start 11th and 12th. Daniel Ricciardo failed to make it beyond the first phase of what could prove to be the last qualifying session of his career.
The Australian, only 16th fastest, looks set to be replaced at RB by New Zealander Liam Lawson from the next round in Austin, Texas, as Red Bull assess their options for 2025.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More on Quran memorisation:
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
THREE
%3Cp%3EDirector%3A%20Nayla%20Al%20Khaja%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3EStarring%3A%20Jefferson%20Hall%2C%20Faten%20Ahmed%2C%20Noura%20Alabed%2C%20Saud%20Alzarooni%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3ERating%3A%203.5%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FINAL RECKONING
Director: Christopher McQuarrie
Starring: Tom Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Simon Pegg
Rating: 4/5
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
More on animal trafficking
The five pillars of Islam
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The years Ramadan fell in May
More from Neighbourhood Watch:
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The biog
Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.
Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books
Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella
Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
Zayed Sustainability Prize
The Gentlemen
Director: Guy Ritchie
Stars: Colin Farrell, Hugh Grant
Three out of five stars
WOMAN AND CHILD
Director: Saeed Roustaee
Starring: Parinaz Izadyar, Payman Maadi
Rating: 4/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 1, Dubai Test: At a glance
Moment of the day Sadeera Samarawickrama set pulses racing with his strokeplay on his introduction to Test cricket. It reached a feverish peak when he stepped down the wicket and launched Yasir Shah, who many regard as the world’s leading spinner, back over his head for six. No matter that he was out soon after: it felt as though the future had arrived.
Stat of the day - 5 The last time Sri Lanka played a Test in Dubai – they won here in 2013 – they had four players in their XI who were known as wicketkeepers. This time they have gone one better. Each of Dinesh Chandimal, Kaushal Silva, Samarawickrama, Kusal Mendis, and Niroshan Dickwella – the nominated gloveman here – can keep wicket.
The verdict Sri Lanka want to make history by becoming the first team to beat Pakistan in a full Test series in the UAE. They could not have made a better start, first by winning the toss, then by scoring freely on an easy-paced pitch. The fact Yasir Shah found some turn on Day 1, too, will have interested their own spin bowlers.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Jordan cabinet changes
In
- Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
- Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
- Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
- Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
- Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
- Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
- Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
- Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
- Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
- Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
- Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
- Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
- Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
- Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
- Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
- Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
- Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
- Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
- Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
PETER%20PAN%20%26%20WENDY
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EDavid%20Lowery%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStars%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Alexander%20Molony%2C%20Ever%20Anderson%2C%20Joshua%20Pickering%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%203%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
More from Neighbourhood Watch
