SINGAPORE — Max Verstappen will start on pole for Saturday's sprint at the Singapore Grand Prix after topping sprint qualifying for the first time at the Marina Bay circuit. The Red Bull driver produced a 1m31.156s on his only SQ3 attempt to beat George Russell by 0.120s, with Charles Leclerc third for Ferrari and Oscar Piastri fourth ahead of McLaren team-mate Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli could only manage seventh, almost seven tenths behind Verstappen, with Liam Lawson, Isack Hadjar and Pierre Gasly completing the top 10. Verstappen was investigated after sprint qualifying for a possible yellow-flag infringement but escaped without a penalty, leaving him on pole for Saturday's sprint. The sprint is scheduled for 5:00pm SGT on Saturday, 10 October — 10:00am BST and 5:00am ET — before qualifying for Sunday's Grand Prix under the lights at 9:00pm SGT, 2:00pm BST and 9:00am ET.
Broadcast coverage varies by region. For viewers in the United Kingdom, Sky Sports continues as the championship's exclusive broadcaster, showing every session live throughout the 2026 season, with streaming via Sky Go or NOW and highlights available free-to-air on Channel 4. In the United States, Apple TV is the primary broadcast partner for the 2026 season with all sessions available on the platform following a multi-year deal, while F1 TV remains the series' global subscription streaming service.
Saturday carries the greatest threat of rain during the Singapore GP weekend, with showers and thunderstorms possible through the morning and early afternoon. The sprint has the highest rain risk of any session, with forecasts suggesting roughly a 70% chance of rain around the start. Some models expect the heavier rain to have passed by then, but showers could leave the circuit wet or drying when the sprint begins, with temperatures around 29C and humidity near 70%.
Conditions should improve for qualifying later in the evening, although the rain risk remains with isolated showers possible and the circuit could still be damp if afternoon rain persists. Temperatures should sit around 28-29C during qualifying, with humidity climbing towards 75-80% at the demanding Marina Bay street circuit, characterised by low-speed corners, walls close to the racing line and intense heat and humidity that places a premium on traction, precision and driver endurance. The sprint weekend follows Singapore Sprint Format Leaves F1 Drivers Facing Blind Guesswork as teams adapt to limited preparation at Marina Bay.