Max Verstappen took pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix on October 10, 2026, with a lap of 1:31.373 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, 0.054 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc. It is the 50th pole of his career, making him only the fifth driver in Formula One history to reach that mark.
Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix in Saturday qualifying on October 10, 2026, at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. His lap of 1 minute 31.373 seconds beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc by 0.054 seconds, according to Speedcafe. It is Verstappen's second consecutive pole of the 2026 season, Sportschau reported.
A record lap under the Marina Bay lights
Verstappen needed only one flying lap in Q3 to top the times, according to Formula1.com. Leclerc took second, with Ferrari teammate Lewis Hamilton third at 1:31.496. Mercedes driver Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, ahead of McLaren's Lando Norris in fifth, motorsport outlet Speedcafe reported.
Singapore Grand Prix 2026 qualifying, top 10
Pos.
Driver
Team
Time
1
Max Verstappen
Red Bull
1:31.373
2
Charles Leclerc
Ferrari
1:31.427
3
Lewis Hamilton
Ferrari
1:31.496
4
Kimi Antonelli
Mercedes
1:31.562
5
Lando Norris
McLaren
1:31.712
6
George Russell
Mercedes
1:31.747
7
Oscar Piastri
McLaren
1:31.860
8
Pierre Gasly
Alpine
1:32.225
9
Liam Lawson
Racing Bulls
1:32.369
10
Arvid Lindblad
Racing Bulls
1:32.781
George Russell set the sixth-fastest time but was handed a grid penalty for an unauthorised power-unit change and will start from the back of the field, Speedcafe reported. German outlet Sportschau also noted that stewards were separately reviewing a possible infringement by Nico Hülkenberg during the session.
Fifth driver in F1 history to reach 50 poles
The pole is the 50th of Verstappen's career, according to Formula1.com and sports-app outlet OneRacingApp. Per Wikipedia's list of Formula One polesitters, only four drivers have recorded more career poles: Lewis Hamilton (104), Michael Schumacher (68), Ayrton Senna (65) and Sebastian Vettel (57). Verstappen is now the fifth driver in the sport's history to reach the 50-pole mark.
Very happy to be on pole, because this is of course the one that I wanted. The car has been pretty strong the whole weekend, and it was enough for pole, so I'm very happy with that.
— Max Verstappen, Red Bull driver, via Formula1.com
Leclerc, who lost out by less than a tenth, said after qualifying that he believed there had been potential to take pole but that Verstappen did the better job, Speedcafe reported.
Singapore is one of two circuits Verstappen has never won
Despite 50 career poles, Verstappen has never won the Singapore Grand Prix since his F1 debut in 2015, OneRacingApp reported. The outlet said the only other circuit where he has not won is the Madring track. Verstappen attributed his stronger pace at Marina Bay this year to the sport's new 2026 technical regulations, which he said changed how his Red Bull behaves at the street circuit, according to Formula1.com.
Verstappen also won Saturday's Sprint race from pole, OneRacingApp reported, though he said his launch at the Sprint start was far from ideal and that Russell got past him off the line.
Championship picture ahead of the Sunday race
According to Speedcafe, Antonelli leads the drivers' standings with 325 points, ahead of Russell on 236 and Hamilton on 221. OneRacingApp put Verstappen fifth in the standings with 196 points. Sportschau reported that Antonelli's lead over second-placed Russell stands at 89 points heading into the race.
Sportschau also reported that the Singapore Grand Prix is scheduled for 2 p.m. German time on Sunday, and that it will be Verstappen's 250th Formula One race start.
Questions
How many pole positions does Max Verstappen have now?
Verstappen has 50 career Formula One pole positions after qualifying first for the Singapore Grand Prix on October 10, 2026, according to Formula1.com.
Who has more pole positions than Verstappen in F1 history?
Per Wikipedia's list of Formula One polesitters, four drivers rank above him: Lewis Hamilton (104), Michael Schumacher (68), Ayrton Senna (65) and Sebastian Vettel (57).
Has Verstappen ever won the Singapore Grand Prix?
No. OneRacingApp reported that Singapore is one of only two circuits, along with the Madring track, where Verstappen has not won a Grand Prix since his 2015 F1 debut.
Why does George Russell start from the back of the grid in Singapore?
Russell qualified sixth but received a grid penalty for an unauthorised power-unit change, according to Speedcafe, which will drop him to the back of the field for the race.
Who leads the 2026 Formula One drivers' championship before the Singapore race?
Speedcafe reported Kimi Antonelli leads with 325 points, ahead of George Russell (236) and Lewis Hamilton (221), with Verstappen fifth on 196 points per OneRacingApp.
How the world is telling it
GermanSportschau's coverage focused on the championship stakes, emphasizing Antonelli's 89-point lead over Russell before the race, a separate stewards' review of Nico Hülkenberg during qualifying, and the fact that Sunday's race marks Verstappen's 250th Formula One start.
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