George Russell delivered a virtuoso performance under the lights to claim a stunning pole for Mercedes for the Singapore Grand Prix as second-placed Max Verstappen also outqualified the title-leading McLaren drivers.

Claiming just Mercedes’ second pole of the season and first since June, Russell delivered two laps in the Q3 shootout that were good enough for top spot – with his first even including a whack against the wall at the penultimate corner.

Russell’s final time of 1:29.158 proved to be enough to see off Red Bull’s Verstappen, who can take solace from the fact he outqualified title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris as the McLarens took third and fifth respectively.

But Verstappen was left frustrated by Norris, who he accused of compromising his final attempt at pole.

Having completed his Q3 run already, Norris was heading back to the pit lane on a slower lap a little way ahead of the Red Bull but Verstappen felt that the Briton had backed off too much and that the turbulent air from the McLaren had impacted him into the Turn 16-17 chicane.

“You can thank your mate for that,” said Verstappen’s engineer Gianpiero Lambiase over team radio in reference to Norris, while the Dutchman said in his interview after the session: “That’s noted, it will be remembered as well.”

But Norris dismissed his rival’s view, hitting back: “They always complain. They complain about everything. That’s Red Bull.”

Title leader Piastri will start at the head of the second row next to Kimi Antonelli in the second Mercedes but Norris, who trails his team-mate by 25 points, will be disappointed to be only fifth on a track where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Although they showed early promise to set the Q1 pace with Lewis Hamilton, Ferrari’s challenge again faded when it mattered most and they qualified half a second off the front in sixth and seventh positions.

Hamilton will start as their lead car for just the fifth time on a Sunday this year as he outqualified Charles Leclerc, who nearly dropped out in Q2, but neither driver will be particularly happy with their underwhelming starting berths

Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso rounded out the top 10.

But after an apparent step forward to qualify and finish in the top 10 last time out in Baku, Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda’s struggles returned as he dropped out of Q2 in 15th place.

Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz qualified 12th and 13th respectively but were later disqualified due to a DRS rear wing infringement on both cars. They will now start Sunday’s race from the back.

Russell delivers as Mercedes upstage rivals

It was a fortnight ago on the streets of Baku that Russell had fought off weekend-long illness to deliver a strong drive to finish second to Verstappen in the race.

And although his Singapore weekend did not start promisingly when the Briton crashed in Friday’s second practice session, Russell was right back on the pace from Saturday’s closely-fought hour of final practice.

He then quickly confirmed his status as a leading pole contender under the Marina Bay floodlights in qualifying.

Initially lapping second fastest to Hamilton in Q1, Russell outpaced Verstappen in Q2 and then, despite clipping the Turn 17 wall with his right-rear tyre, immediately uncorked a lap at the start of Q3 that was four tenths faster than anything seen in qualifying to that point.

The Mercedes driver then found 0.007s more on his final attempt to ultimately put the fastest time out of reach as Verstappen and Piastri aborted their final runs.

“Amazing to be on pole position,” said Russell, who will start from the head of the F1 field for the seventh time on a Sunday.

“Yesterday was a very challenging day for many different reasons but good to come back and get a result.

“A long sweaty race but I knew there was potential in the car. Kimi was doing an amazing job all weekend. I gained quite a lot to see what he was capable of doing yesterday.”

Since receiving hist first public criticism from Mercedes boss Toto Wolff after Monza, Italian rookie Antonelli has now qualified fourth in two successive events.

Where has McLaren’s pace gone?

But it is now three races in succession without a pole for championship leaders McLaren, who never appeared to have the pace to get on terms with either the lead Mercedes or Red Bull driver around the wall-lined track.

They qualified 0.366s away from pole and team boss Andrea Stella told Sky Sports F1: “We entered qualifying to achieve a pole position but we see a pattern now where we have lots of braking, bumps and kerbs, we saw in Canada and Baku and now today, that on this track layout, other cars are competitive.

“Still a good position for the race.”

Given Verstappen – who needs to take big chunks out of his 69-point title deficit in every one of F1’s remaining seven races to have any chance of the crown – starts only one place ahead of him and team-mate Norris, who he leads by 25 points, is two places behind, Piastri was relatively satisfied with his result after his point-less, crash-laden Baku.

“I would have wanted more today but I don’t think we had four tenths in it to get pole,” said Piastri.

“Ultimately, pretty happy. It’s been a good weekend so far and built up to it nicely. A clean session and that’s all I can ask for.”

Norris has been fighting his own bout of illness this weekend and said: “I’m better today. Yesterday I struggled a bit. It hit me pretty quickly. I’m probably not optimal but no excuses for today.

“Others have improved. Mercedes have done a good job. Red Bull have been good the last two weekends. Nothing is a surprise.”

Needing at best just one car on Sunday’s podium, or two cars in the top seven, it would now be a huge surprise if McLaren did not wrap up the Constructors’ Championship on Sunday.

But a return to race-winning ways for the first time since the end of August to deny either Russell or Verstappen glory at Marina Bay appears likely to prove a tougher ask.

Sky Sports F1’s Singapore GP schedule

Sunday October 5
8.20am: F1 Academy Race 2
11.30am: Grand Prix Sunday: Singapore GP build-up
1pm: THE SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
3pm: Chequered Flag: Singapore GP reaction
4pm: Ted’s Notebook

The 2025 Formula 1 title fight continues under the lights at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend, live on Sky Sports F1. Stream Sky Sports with NOW – no contract, cancel anytime