Leclerc third, Hamilton sixth for Ferrari in Singapore Sprint Qualifying
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc will line up third and Lewis Hamilton sixth after the final Sprint Qualifying session of the season at the floodlit Marina Bay Street Circuit.
- 1’31”399
- 1’31”702
- 1’32”246
- 30 degrees air / 43 degrees track
What Happened
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified third and Lewis Hamilton sixth for the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint, in the final Sprint Qualifying session of the season at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The track was floodlit, with an air temperature of 30 degrees and the track at 43. The session ran in three parts, with a red flag interruption in the opening segment.
- As per the regulations, all cars took to the track on Medium tyres with enough fuel to make the most of the evolving track conditions; the Ferraris ran new sets.
- Lewis Hamilton posted 1’33”748 before the session was red-flagged because of debris on track after Sergio Perez hit the barriers.
- Charles Leclerc had only managed an obviously unrepresentative 1’54”984.
- The session resumed with six minutes remaining, and Leclerc set a 1’34”055 to join his team-mate in SQ2.
In SQ2 the Ferraris were again running new Medium tyres. On his first attempt, Leclerc set a time of 1’32”457, while Hamilton posted a 1’32”562. On his second run the Monegasque improved to 1’32”246, while his team-mate did not improve.
- 1’31”399 (third)
- 1’31”702 (sixth)
For the final part, everyone was on Soft tyres. Leclerc went for two attempts while Hamilton made just one. The Monegasque stopped the clocks in 1’31”568, and Hamilton's 1’31”702 left him in sixth place. On his second attempt, Leclerc improved to 1’31”399, which put him third.
Previously from Ferrari N.V.
Before the weekend, Charles Leclerc said Ferrari must take nothing for granted at the Singapore Grand Prix, where pace that looks good on paper has often failed to translate into results this season. Lewis Hamilton said preparation matters more than ever at Marina Bay, where teams get only one practice session before Sprint Qualifying.
- Leclerc urges Ferrari caution at Singapore Grand Prix: 'This is a special track'
- Hamilton says Singapore's single practice session and Sprint format make preparation key for Ferrari
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Ferrari N.V.'s official releases.
Why this matters
Sprint Qualifying decides the starting order for the Singapore Sprint, so Ferrari heads into the shortened race with its two drivers split on the grid. Newcomers should note this was the last Sprint Qualifying of the season, and that Leclerc ended the session ahead of his team-mate Hamilton.
Terms in This Story
- Sprint Qualifying
- A shortened qualifying session that sets the starting grid for a Sprint race on a compressed race weekend.
- Red flag
- A signal that stops a session immediately, usually because of debris, a crash or unsafe track conditions.
- Medium tyres
- A mid-range tyre compound that sits between the softer and harder options, balancing grip and durability.
- Soft tyres
- The grippiest tyre compound, offering the most pace but wearing faster than harder options.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.