Lando Norris has a slight edge, but it’s close.
In Formula 1, the two main title contenders will start side by side on the front row at the Singapore Grand Prix, as Norris narrowly beat his rival Max Verstappen during qualifying on Saturday.
The final session turned into a one-lap contest for the top spots after a crash involving Carlos Sainz Jr. disrupted the session on a challenging day for Ferrari.
“I was finding it a little difficult to progress much and to get a lot of lap time, and more of the guys around seemed to get quicker and quicker,” Norris said.
“So it put me under a little bit more pressure, especially with just one lap at the end, but it was good enough for pole and I’m happy with that.”
The McLaren driver finished .203 seconds ahead of Verstappen, securing pole position, while Lewis Hamilton took third place for Mercedes, .316 seconds behind Norris.
Norris’s pole position was a big change from his qualifying in Azerbaijan last week, where he started 15th due to a yellow flag warning affecting his lap, but managed to finish fourth, ahead of Verstappen.
Verstappen, who expressed satisfaction with his second-place finish after having grip issues during practice in his Red Bull, leads Norris by 59 points in the standings.
There are seven races left in the championship, including Sunday’s event. Starting on the front row allows Verstappen to minimize the impact on his lead even if Norris wins.
Verstappen has never won in Singapore, which is also the only track where the dominant Red Bull team did not secure a victory last season.
Hamilton achieved his best qualifying result since the British Grand Prix in July, a race he went on to win, during a season where the seven-time champion has struggled with his single-lap speed.
“Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long, and I’ve just been working and working and working, trying to get myself back up there,” he said. “All of a sudden the car came alive in qualifying for the first time in a long time.”
