Oscar Piastri 'surprised' by Mercedes pole as McLarens off the pace in Singapore qualifying
Updated . First published at
Championship leader Oscar Piastri admitted he was surprised to see George Russell's Mercedes take pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Aussie driver, who settled for third on the grid, confessed that he did not expect Russell, or Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who qualified second, to be ahead of McLaren's pace.
Piastri qualified third, 0.366 off Russell's pace, with his McLaren teammate Lando Norris lining up fifth.
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McLaren's Oscar Piastri on track ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. Clive Mason via Getty Images
"It was a surprise, yeah," Piastri said afterwards on Sunday morning (AEDT).
"I think the start of qualifying we seemed pretty good, and then everyone else just seemed to find a lot of time, and we didn't really.
"That was a bit of a surprise, but it's been a little bit weird this weekend. The tyres have been pretty tricky to switch on.
"I think a few things changed from yesterday to today with the track, and everyone's just been pretty close, and anyone that nails it has been towards the front. So just one of those kinds of weekends, but third's still not a bad result."
Russell crashed in Friday practice but turned it around in style, ending the Saturday qualifying session 0.182 of a second faster than Verstappen, despite clipping the wall himself.
Verstappen, however, was aggrieved with Norris' driving, suggesting it had cost him pole position.
Second-placed qualifier Max Verstappen and third-placed qualifier Oscar Piastri talk in parc fermé. Zak Mauger via Getty Images
The reigning champion has the momentum in the Formula 1 title fight after winning the last two races, though he was unhappy with Norris' behaviour, while McLaren again seems to be off the pace.
"More or less, I think there was a little bit left in [the car] but not enough for pole," Piastri said.
"Ultimately, I thought it was a pretty good session. It's just been a pretty good weekend — very solid, no major hiccups or anything like that. I think ultimately we just didn't quite have the pace, so we'll try and see what we can do."
Verstappen complained that Norris — who is currently second in the standings — was "just cruising" around the track and disrupted a lap that could have been good enough for pole position.
"It's noted, will be remembered as well," he said.
Drivers typically leave each other large gaps during the final shootout for the top 10 places, but Norris was only a couple of seconds ahead, according to Verstappen. He argued that the resulting disrupted airflow hurt his performance.
Max Verstappen prepares to drive in the garage ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. Clive Rose/Formula 1 via Getty Images
Verstappen stated he would "just move forward" and would not try to discuss the issue with Norris.
"Sometimes it happens at a street circuit that people are bored, make mistakes," he commented.
Singapore remains the only track this season where Verstappen has not won.
"I hear this now the whole week, 'Never had a pole, never won here.' Well, fantastic," Verstappen said.
He pointed out that previous Red Bull cars struggled to cope with the tight Singapore track, where grip is crucial.
"Now, finally, the car is a bit more all-round, it seems. We've always been, I would say, a little bit weaker on super-high-downforce [circuits], for whatever reason. For us to be this competitive for sure is very promising."
This marks the second pole position of the year for Russell and the first for both him and the Mercedes team since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, which he went on to win.
"We certainly didn't anticipate being fighting for a pole position here," Russell said, adding he was surprised McLaren was slower than expected.
Pole position qualifier George Russell. Rudy Carezzevoli via Getty Images
Piastri suggested his car lacked the pace to compete.
"I wanted more, but I don't think we had four-tenths of a second in it to go and get pole," the Australian said.
Pole position is a significant advantage in Singapore, where overtaking is notoriously difficult. Russell, however, has previously struggled here; his best finish is fourth. In 2023, he famously crashed on the final lap while fighting for a podium place.
"I'm a different driver today than I was a couple of years ago," Russell commented.
"Yesterday was my first crash in over a year. This season, I am sort of more within myself. I know the limits better."
Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, one place ahead of his Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc, after escaping a potential grid penalty for an incident in practice.
Stewards investigated whether the seven-time champion went too fast under a red flag. They ultimately ruled that Hamilton's driving was not unsafe or against the rules, though they noted that "a greater reduction of speed would have been desirable."
Both Williams drivers will have to start from the back of the grid after they were disqualified for a technical infringement with their rear wings.
Alex Albon had placed 12th and Carlos Sainz 13th.
The pressure on Max Verstappen's Red Bull teammate, Yuki Tsunoda, could increase after he qualified 15th, though he will move up two places on the grid because of the Williams disqualifications.
