The 2026 Singapore Grand Prix weekend is underway, and the battle for pole position is shaping up to be one of the most intriguing of the season. Friday’s practice and sprint qualifying sessions demonstrated just how competitive the front of the field could be, with Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren all showing flashes of speed around the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Max Verstappen secured sprint pole with a lap of approximately 1:31.15, narrowly ahead of George Russell and Charles Leclerc. However, Russell’s impressive performance in an older-spec Mercedes, combined with his pace in FP1, suggests that the British driver could have something more to offer in Saturday’s qualifying session.
Ferrari also looked particularly competitive, with both Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton showing strong pace throughout sprint qualifying. Meanwhile, Lando Norris demonstrated that McLaren cannot be overlooked, even if the team has not consistently looked like the outright favorite.
With that in mind, here are our Ethical Sports Takes predictions for the top three in qualifying for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
P1 — George Russell (Mercedes)
Our prediction for pole position is George Russell.
Russell enjoyed an excellent Friday, topping the opening practice session with a 1:32.274 before qualifying second for the sprint race. What makes his performance particularly impressive is that he accomplished it while running an older specification of the Mercedes package, whereas teammate Kimi Antonelli had access to the newer version.
Despite that apparent disadvantage, Russell looked considerably more comfortable around Marina Bay. His confidence under braking, ability to attack the corners and overall consistency made him one of the strongest drivers throughout the day.
His sprint qualifying session was not without difficulties. Russell locked up during SQ2 and had to abandon a flying lap, briefly leaving his progression into SQ3 uncertain. Nevertheless, he recovered and ultimately secured a front-row starting position alongside Verstappen, finishing just 0.120 seconds behind the Red Bull driver.
Singapore is a circuit where confidence and precision are crucial. The narrow walls leave little margin for error, and a driver who can consistently attack the braking zones without compromising corner exits has a significant advantage.
Russell demonstrated those qualities throughout Friday, and we believe he can put everything together when it matters most on Saturday.
Our prediction: George Russell takes pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix. However, despite believing Russell will be the fastest driver in Saturday’s qualifying session, his 40-place grid penalty for power-unit changes means he will start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back of the grid regardless of where he qualifies. While securing pole would be an impressive achievement, Russell faces an uphill battle when it comes to converting that pace into a strong race result.
P2 — Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
Predicting Max Verstappen anywhere other than first is never an easy decision, particularly after his performance in sprint qualifying.
The Dutchman looked extremely competitive on Friday, topping SQ1 before producing the fastest lap of the entire sprint qualifying session in SQ3.
Verstappen’s 1:31.15 lap was enough to secure sprint pole, demonstrating that Red Bull has the pace to compete at the very front around Marina Bay.
His performance was especially impressive considering that his qualifying session was not entirely straightforward. Traffic proved frustrating during the earlier segments, while mechanics were seen inspecting the rear of his car during SQ3.
Nevertheless, when Verstappen had the opportunity to deliver a clean lap, he made it count.
Verstappen also arrives in Singapore carrying momentum following his victory at the Malaysian Grand Prix. With confidence high and Red Bull looking competitive, he will undoubtedly be one of the favorites for pole position.
However, there are reasons to believe Russell can narrowly beat him on Saturday.
Mercedes demonstrated excellent single-lap pace during FP1, and Russell’s ability to finish second in sprint qualifying despite his interrupted SQ2 suggests there could be additional performance available.
Verstappen is also facing scrutiny over a possible yellow-flag infringement involving Lewis Hamilton during sprint qualifying, although any sporting consequences would depend on the stewards’ decision.
We expect another extremely close battle between the two drivers, but this time we are giving Russell the edge.
Our prediction: Max Verstappen qualifies second, narrowly missing out on pole position.
P3 — Lando Norris (McLaren)
Our final top-three prediction for qualifying is Lando Norris.
While Ferrari enjoyed an impressive Friday, Norris showed enough speed during sprint qualifying to suggest McLaren could be a serious contender when Saturday’s session arrives.
Norris was particularly competitive in SQ2, finishing among the leading drivers as the field pushed harder on the medium-compound tires.
He then became the first driver to break into the 1:31s during SQ3, setting an early benchmark on the soft tires before being surpassed by Leclerc and eventually Verstappen.
Although his final position did not fully reflect the early promise of that lap, it demonstrated that McLaren has the underlying pace to challenge near the front.
The biggest question is whether Norris can extract everything from the car over a single lap.
Singapore rewards precision, particularly through its technical corners and heavy braking zones. A small mistake can cost several positions, especially when the leading teams are separated by fractions of a second.
We believe Norris can deliver a stronger final qualifying performance on Saturday and edge out the Ferrari drivers for third place.
It will not be easy. Leclerc and Hamilton both looked comfortable throughout Friday, and Ferrari could easily disrupt our predicted top three.
Nevertheless, Norris has the speed to deliver a strong lap when everything comes together.
Our prediction: Lando Norris qualifies third for the Singapore Grand Prix.
Final Qualifying Predictions
- P1 — George Russell (Mercedes)
- P2 — Max Verstappen (Red Bull)
- P3 — Lando Norris (McLaren)
Ferrari remains the biggest threat to these predictions, particularly after Leclerc’s impressive performance in sprint qualifying and Hamilton’s strong pace during the earlier sessions.
Antonelli is another driver worth monitoring. Despite having the newer Mercedes specification, he could only manage seventh in sprint qualifying, leaving considerable room for improvement.
Ultimately, we expect Saturday’s battle for pole position to come down to Russell and Verstappen, with Norris emerging as our pick to complete the top three.
Our call: George Russell delivers the fastest lap around Marina Bay, beating Verstappen to pole position in what should be another closely contested qualifying session. However, Russell’s grid penalty means his Sunday race will begin from the back, regardless of Saturday’s result.
With Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and McLaren all showing competitive pace, Saturday’s qualifying should be a thrilling conclusion to our triple-header of qualifying sessions in Singapore.
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