Singapore Qualifying: Carlos Sainz takes Pole Position, Max Verstappen 11th after shocking Q2 exit

Max Verstappen's quest to win 11 consecutive Grands Prix appears to be in jeopardy following a disastrous qualifying session in Singapore on Saturday evening, where he finished 11th and Ferrari's Carlos Sainz took pole.

With local temperatures approaching 30 degrees Celsius and humidity at 79%, many of the drivers at the Marina Bay Street Circuit were feeling the heat.

Lance Stroll crashed at high speed in Q1, resulting in a red flag.The Canadian was fine but dropped out of the race at the end of the first session, along with Valtteri Bottas, Oscar Piastri, Logan Sargeant, and Zhou Guanyu.

Charles Leclerc was fastest in the first laps of Q1, followed by Lando Norris and Sergio Perez, but Mercedes' George Russell took the lead on his first lap, while Lewis Hamilton was fifth.

The second session was delayed while the debris from Stroll's crash was cleared from the course. Stroll's Aston Martin team later stated that he had been "cleared after a precautionary visit to the medical center."

Verstappen was one of several drivers who were noted for impeding during the first session, and the Dutchman responded with an expletive-laden response over the team radio.

When Q2 finally began, Fernando Alonso got off to a great start, moving into P1 after the first runs. Kevin Magnussen also ran a fast time, finishing ahead of the Red Bulls.

Russell then took provisional pole by 0.092 seconds, while Hamilton dropped to fifth.

The reigning Grand Prix Champion had a rough day in qualifying

Yuki Tsunoda, the Alpha Tauri driver, was in the drop zone but complained over the radio that Verstappen had impeded him.

The Red Bulls were both in trouble, and Perez spun out at turn three before being yellow flagged.

Verstappen then suffered a similar fate, finishing 11th as Alpha Tauri rookie Liam Lawson snuck into tenth place ahead of the world champion.

Pierre Gasly, Alex Albon, and Tsunoda also failed to qualify in Q2.

In Q3, Before the final two minutes of the session, Sainz held the provisional pole position, with Leclerc, Norris, and Russell close behind.

And the Spaniard was untouchable in the closing stages, finishing first, his second pole in as many races and the fifth of his career with Russell joining him on the front row.

SportsLigue