In a race that many thought Mercedes would struggle for speed, Ferrari has already asserted their dominance as Formula One takes to the streets of Singapore.
The Italian Grand Prix became less of a homecoming for Ferrari and more of a welcome back for Mercedes at the top of the championship. Lewis Hamilton took the victory and the top spot in the title fight, knowing full well the silver arrows would need every advantage they could get heading to Singapore. Formula One is back on the streets of Asia, with Ferrari in charge in qualifying in dominating fashion.
Sebastian Vettel streaked his way to the pole position on Saturday by more than 0.3 seconds over second place Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing. Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen, and Lewis Hamilton would round out the top five. The spread among the top five starters was quite significant, with the drivers separated by over 0.6 seconds.
Vettel’s move to the top of qualifying in Q3 spoiled what set to be an amazing day for Red Bull Racing. Despite just announcing an end to their deal with Renault coming in the near future, both Verstappen and Ricciardo showed pace to be the top two through both Q1 and Q2. And though they were beaten out by Vettel for the pole, many were surprised that they kept pace ahead of both Mercedes drivers.
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Also worth noting on Saturday was the pace of the McLaren squad, who earlier this week announced their coming switch from Honda to Renault. Both Fernando Alonso and Stoffel Vandoorne qualified inside the top ten, and could be in line for points again in Singapore. Soon-to-be Renault driver Carlos Sainz Jr., who will replace Jolyon Palmer, qualified tenth.
Here are the full qualifying results for the Formula One Singapore Grand Prix:
- Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari
- Max Verstappen, Tag Heuer, Red Bull Racing
- Daniel Ricciardo, Tag Heuer, Red Bull Racing
- Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, Scuderia Ferrari
- Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Mercedes AMG Petronas
- Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, Mercedes AMG Petronas
- Nico Hulkenberg, Renault, Renault Sport
- Fernando Alonso, Honda, McLaren
- Stoffel Vandoorne, Honda, McLaren
- Carlos Sainz Jr., Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Jolyon Palmer, Renault, Renault Sport
- Sergio Perez, Mercedes, Force India
- Daniil Kvyat, Ferrari, Scuderia Toro Rosso
- Esteban Ocon, Mercedes, Force India
- Romain Grosjean, Ferrari, Haas F1
- Kevin Magnussen, Ferrari, Haas F1
- Felipe Massa, Mercedes, Williams Martini Racing
- Lance Stroll, Mercedes, Williams Martini Racing
- Pascal Wehrlein, Ferrari, Sauber
- Marcus Ericsson, Ferrari, Sauber
Next: What to Watch for in Singapore
Be sure to tune in and catch the Singapore Grand Prix, the last night race on the 2017 Formula One calendar. Coverage can be seen in the United States on Sunday morning on NBCSN and the NBC Sports app.