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The 2024 F1 Singapore GP qualifying saw Lando Norris secure another pole position as he fended off a surprise challenge from Max Verstappen. The Red Bull driver was second and only two-tenths behind.
In P3 and P4, we had the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, who were both surprised by the kind of pace the car had. The session was mixed overall as the red flag stoppage caused by Carlos Sainz's crash compromised the first run of many drivers.
It ended up compromising Charles Leclerc as well, as his lap-time would be deleted later for going off track. The two Ferraris will start the race on the 5th row. As the session ends, who would be a bit disappointed and who would be satisfied with the F1 Singapore GP qualifying? Let's take a look.
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2024 F1 Singapore GP Qualifying
Winner
Red Bull and Max Verstappen
Who could have even guessed this? Red Bull has pulled off a massive coup here with the way it has gone about finding lap-time from a car that looked completely out of place after Friday.
It's not easy to do and it's not going to get the most plaudits either but the work done by Red Bull on the car was what makes a team championship calibre.
A front row start is something the team or the driver would not have thought of even in the wildest of dreams. The fact that it came together and now Max can focus on a strong result is just a brilliant thing for the driver and his title aspirations.
Loser
Charles Leclerc and Ferrari
If Charles Leclerc had even replicated his fastest FP2 lap time from yesterday, he would have been on the front row. Not only did the car go in the wrong direction after Friday, but so many small errors here and there meant that the driver was never in the rhythm, nor did he have the car underneath him.
A major blow for Ferrari this one, as it gifted away a strong result in the F1 Singapore GP qualifying.
Winner
Lando Norris and McLaren
The thing about Lando Norris is that he's in such a position that even if he gets a strong result, he doesn't get the credit that he deserves. This was an epic lap and an epic job by him, especially if you look at where his teammate was.
Norris has done the easy bit on Saturday, now it's time for him to nail the first lap of the F1 Singapore GP and win the race.
Loser
Daniel Ricciardo
Rumors have been floating that Daniel Ricciardo could be in the last race of his RB stint. The fact that he got eliminated in Q1 while the car was capable of a Q3 slot is not going to help Ricciardo.
The F1 Singapore GP qualifying could have been the driver's one last shot, where he just reminded everyone for one last time what he can do in an F1 car. He messed up his opportunity and, in a way, further fuelled speculation about his future.
Winners
Nico Hulkenberg and Fernando Alonso
This season's unheralded heroes continue to be the veterans Fernando Alonso and Nico Hulkenberg as they drag their cars into Q3. The F1 Singapore GP has been as much about drivers as it could be, and these two continue to remind everyone that in the right car they're no less than any of the best.
It is arguable that the Aston Martin or the Haas was maybe not a top 10 car. Both Alonso and Hulkenberg certainly didn't make it seem that way.
Loser
Alpine
Remember Alpine? Precisely. There was a time not so long ago that the French outfit was on an upward trajectory. The drivers started scoring points, and the car was slowly getting better. Then came the news of the shutting down of the Renault power unit facility and the introduction of a new principal.
Since that has happened, the team has stagnated. Esteban Ocon wrung the neck of the car and got a P15. That was the best that Alpine could do at the F1 Singapore GP qualifying, and it further makes sense why Ocon decided to leave the team.
