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The 2024 F1 Singapore GP qualifying saw Lando Norris secure pole position for Sunday's race. He exhibited impressive pace throughout the race weekend, suggesting that it was inevitable he would claim the top spot.
However, the unexpected Red Flag threw some drivers off, but Norris' speed ensured that he maintained his advantage and secured pole, ahead of Max Verstappen in P2.
The Red Bull driver was pleasantly surprised by the performance of his car, which delivered a lap time that exceeded expectations. In P3 was Lewis Hamilton, with the Mercedes driver completing the second row with a strong final lap.
Ferrari had a disastrous outing, as both Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz will be starting from the fifth row. So, what did we learn from the Singapore GP qualifying? Let's take a look.
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2024 F1 Singapore GP Qualifying: Key Takeaways
#1 Lando Norris and McLaren worked together in a perfect manner
There were many things that could have gone wrong with Lando Norris and McLaren during the Singapore GP qualifying. The Red Flag could have thrown him off, resulting in a mistake.
The fact that he didn't and, most importantly, dunked half a second on Oscar Piastri in the same car is just the kind of thing that makes a driver brilliant. Once Ferrari and Charles Leclerc's threat dissipated for some reason, it was straightforward for Norris, and he got it done brilliantly.
#2 Max Verstappen and Red Bull deserve a lot of plaudits
After Friday, if anyone had claimed that Verstappen was going to be on the front row in qualifying, nobody would have believed it. Well, that's the kind of turnaround the team and the driver have executed.
The car is tough to get in the right window, but it could be seen throughout the Singapore GP qualifying that slowly and steadily, Verstappen was gaining confidence. There's a chance that he could have even been on pole, but just the thought of it is brilliant for the team right now.
#3 Ferrari bottled a possible pole position and a win
Charles Leclerc's fastest time in FP2 would have put him on the front row of the grid. Such has been the drastic fall from Ferrari that the team need to revisit where it all went wrong.
The Italian team took the car in the wrong direction for qualifying, and the tyres weren't up to temperature for the lap. You don't win titles by making these mistakes, and that's precisely what Leclerc would be telling the team at the moment.
#4 Mercedes is in contention for a big result
Mercedes haven't had a good run since the summer break. They have only one podium to show for it, and that should be a disappointing read for a team that was in supreme form before the summer break.
At the Singapore GP, though, the team finds itself in a perfect position on the second row. This is a great starting point from where they could really kick things off.
#5 A word for Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso
Did the Haas or the Aston Martin deserve to be in Q3? Well, if you look at what the teammates of Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso did in terms of lap times, you'd be hard-pressed to say, maybe not.
So, that's where the beauty of this result comes in. the two drivers dragged their cars into positions they weren't seemingly capable of, which deserves a lot of credit.
