F1 Singapore Qualifying: Important Takeaways For Sunday's Race

After winning a DNF-filled Sprint Race on Saturday afternoon, Max Verstappen stormed through the main qualifying session for the 2026 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix.

It was the Red Bull driver's 50th career pole, and his first one at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. If he wins on Sunday, it will be a perfect weekend for the Dutchman here in Singapore.

Along with Verstappen's exceptional individual performance, what are the other major storylines heading into the Sunday race?

The two McLaren drivers collided with each other during the Sprint Race, and as a result, they allowed Red Bull to inch closer to them in the Teams' Standings. As of writing (before Sunday's race), Red Bull is now within 11 points of McLaren for third place. 

Moreover, Red Bull's trajectory is carrying on with so much good momentum. Save for Isack Hadjar's horrible weekend in Singapore so far, the Red Bull car has been very good in the last few races. 

After his DNF at Zandvoort, Verstappen has been on the podium in the last four races, including that pole-to-win performance in Sepang. 

McLaren is still starting from the Top 10 for the main race in Singapore, with Lando Norris in fifth and Oscar Piastri in seventh. Still, Verstappen's qualifying performance confirms that they have a better one-lap and race trim pace than the McLarens.

After a miserable Friday, Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a better Saturday. He took advantage of the McLaren crash in front of him in the Sprint Race and finished fourth. Then, he qualified fourth for the Grand Prix, and he was faster this time around.

George Russell struggled in qualifying after his car crashed out of the Sprint Race. Since Friday, he has reverted to an older setup of the car, but he said that it no longer felt very competitive on Saturday.

Mercedes might have made progress in understanding their new upgrade package, but they're still nowhere near their dominant form in the recent past. 

The WR17 is struggling here in Singapore, and that might also be the case on Sunday's race.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came very close to snatching pole, as he finished qualifying just 0.054 seconds behind Verstappen. Granted that Verstappen backed off from his last run because he already had pole in the bag, Ferrari's 2-3 finish in qualifying is still giving valid hope to the Tifosi.

Now, they have to put all their strength into overtaking Verstappen into Turn 1. With Leclerc on the side and Hamilton on the back, Ferrari will have a couple of opportunities to do so. 

Turn 1 on the opening lap might be Ferrari's best chance to snag a win on a track where overtaking is very challenging. 

Alpine should thank the heavens for Pierre Gasly.

With Franco Colapinto failing to put his best lap together in Q2, Gasly managed to salvage Alpine's evening by qualifying ahead of the two Racing Bulls. 

Gasly's qualifying performance was very important for the team's midfield battle with the Racing Bulls. 26 points separate the two teams from fifth place in the midfield, forcing Alpine to cover a lot of ground in the remaining races.

So, don't just focus your viewing on the cars in front. Gasly fending off Liam Lawson and Arvid Lindblad might be just as exciting.