F1 2026 Qualifying Duel: Singapore GP Showdown for the Podium

Formula 1’s latest qualifying data from Motorsport.com shows McLaren’s Oscar Piastri outmatched Lando Norris in 15 of 23 sessions, while Mercedes and Red Bull lead the pack with distinct driver duels and qualifying tactics.

McLaren’s Piastri vs. Norris

McLaren’s in‑house battle yields a 7–15 record in favour of Piastri. Katrina sessions highlight the tight margin, with Piastri often edging Norris by hundreds of a second.

• Australian GP – Norris 6th (+0.095 s Q3); Piastri 5th (+0.083 s SQ3)
• Chinese Sprint – Norris 5th (+0.058 s Q3); Piastri 3rd
• Chinese GP – Norris 3rd (+0.277 s Q3); Piastri 3rd
• Miami Sprint – Norris 7th (+0.317 s Q3); Piastri 1st
• Miami GP – Norris 4th (+0.019 s SQ3); Piastri 4th
• Canadian Sprint – Norris 3rd (+0.052 s Q3); Piastri 3rd (4th)
• Monaco – Norris 8th (+0.141 s Q3); Piastri 7th (+0.089 s Q3)
• Barcelona Sprint – Norris 4th; Piastri 7th (+0.009 s Q3)
• Austrian Sprint – Norris 6th (+0.032 s SQ3); Piastri 7th
• British Sprint – Norris 8th (+0.155 s Q3); Piastri 6th
• British GP – Norris 7th (+0.215 s Q3); Piastri 7th
• Belgian GP – Norris 3rd (+0.477 s Q3); Piastri 5th
• Hungarian GP – Norris 1st (+0.058 s SQ3); Piastri 4th
• Netherlands Sprint – Norris 2nd (+0.142 s Q3); Piastri 1st
• Netherlands GP – Norris 4th (+0.225 s Q3); Piastri 1st (3rd)
• Italian GP – Norris 9th (+0.290 s Q3); Piastri 7th (+0.470 s Q3)
• Spanish GP – Norris 1st; Piastri 3rd
• Azerbaijan GP – Norris 5th (+0.308 s Q3); Piastri 7th (+0.005 s Q3)
• Bahrain/L Malaysia – Norris 6th; Piastri 4th (+0.133 s SQ3)

Mercedes’ Dual Strategy

Mercedes’ lineup shows George Russell securing an 11–11 record while Kimi Antonelli sits at 1–2. Their performance highlights balanced factory gains and occasional grid penalties.

• Australian GP – Russell 2nd (+0.293 s Q3); Antonelli 1st
• Chinese Sprint – Russell 2nd (+0.289 s SQ3); Antonelli 2nd (+0.222 s Q3)
• Chinese GP – Russell 1st; Antonelli 1st (+0.298 s Q3)
• Japanese GP – Russell 1st (+0.402 s SQ3); Antonelli 1st
• Miami Sprint – Russell 2nd; Antonelli 5th (+0.399 s Q3)
• Miami GP – Russell 1st; Antonelli 1st
• Canadian Sprint – Russell 2nd (+0.068 s SQ3); Antonelli 1st
• Canadian GP – Russell 2nd (+0.068 s Q3); Antonelli 1st
• Monaco GP – Russell 6th (+0.394 s Q3); Antonelli 1st
• Barcelona Sprint – Russell 3rd (+0.319 s Q3); Antonelli 1st
• Austrian GP – Russell 1st; Antonelli 4th (+0.301 s Q3)
• British Sprint – Russell 2nd; Antonelli 4th (+0.370 s Q3)
• British GP – Russell 1st; Antonelli 4th (+0.508 s Q3)
• Belgian GP – Russell 1st; Antonelli 7th (+0.281 s Q3)
• Hungarian GP – Russell 4th; Antonelli 1st
• Netherlands Sprint – Russell 5th (+0.227 s SQ3); Antonelli 2nd
• Netherlands GP – Russell 2nd (+0.031 s Q3); Antonelli 3rd
• Italian GP – Russell 7th (+0.247 s Q3 – engine penalty); Antonelli 6th (+0.314 s Q3)
• Spanish GP – Russell 2nd; Antonelli 1st
• Azerbaijan GP – Russell 16th (+1.889 s Q1 – crash); Antonelli 8th (+0.240 s Q3)
• Bahrain/L Malaysia Sprint – Russell 4th; Antonelli 2nd
• Singapore Sprint – Russell 7th (+0.573 s SQ3); Antonelli 7th

Red Bull’s Aggressive Pace

Red Bull, led by Max Verstappen, eclipses efforts from backers Isack Hadjar and Liam Lawson. Verstappen maintains consistency whilst partner drivers face varied setbacks.

• Australian GP – Verstappen 3rd; Hadjar no Q1 time (off track)
• Chinese Sprint – Verstappen 10th (+0.469 s SQ3); Hadjar 8th (+0.119 s Q3)
• Chinese GP – Verstappen 8th (+0.158 s Q2); Hadjar 9th (+0.119 s Q3)
• Japanese GP – Verstappen 8th; Lawson 5th (+0.633 s Q2 – impeded)
• Miami Sprint – Verstappen 9th (+0.961 s SQ3); Lawson 2nd
• Miami GP – Verstappen DSQ – technical breach (+0.825 s Q3); Lawson 7th
• Canadian Sprint – Verstappen 8th (+0.101 s SQ3); Lawson 6th (+0.028 s Q3)
• Canadian GP – Verstappen 7th (+0.028 s Q3); Lawson 2nd
• Monaco GP – Verstappen 5th (+0.340 s Q3); Lawson 2nd
• Barcelona Sprint – Verstappen 6th (+0.056 s Q3); Lawson 5th (+0.518 s SQ3)
• Austrian GP – Verstappen 5th (+0.157 s Q3); Lawson 3rd
• British Sprint – Verstappen 8th (+0.138 s SQ3); Lawson 7th (+0.147 s Q3)
• British GP – Verstappen 5th; Lawson 2nd
• Belgian GP – Verstappen 10th (no Q time – grid penalty); Lawson 6th
• Hungarian GP – Verstappen 8th (+0.131 s Q3); Lawson 8th (+0.581 s Q3)
• Azerbaijan GP – Verstappen 4th; Lawson 1st
• Bahrain/L Malaysia GP – Verstappen 3rd (+0.428 s Q3); Lawson 1st
• Singapore Sprint – Verstappen 9th (no Q time – track limits); Lawson 9th (no SQ3 time – track limits)

Ferrari’s Shifting Dynamics

Ferrari’s dual drivers Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton illuminate strong results but also highlight occasional crashes and minor time penalties.

• Australian GP – Leclerc 6th (+0.151 s Q3); Hamilton 4th (+0.367 s SQ3)
• Chinese Sprint – Leclerc 4th; Hamilton 4th (+0.013 s Q3)
• Chinese GP – Leclerc 3rd (+0.062 s Q3); Hamilton 3rd
• Japanese GP – Leclerc 6th (+0.162 s Q3); Hamilton 4th
• Miami Sprint – Leclerc 7th (+0.379 s SQ3); Hamilton 3rd (+0.176 s Q3)
• Miami GP – Leclerc 6th (+0.084 s SQ3); Hamilton 6th (+0.176 s Q3)
• Canadian Sprint – Leclerc 5th; Hamilton 8th (+0.108 s Q3)
• Canadian GP – Leclerc 5th (+0.072 s Q3); Hamilton 5th (+0.072 s Q3)
• Monaco GP – Leclerc 3rd; Hamilton 10th no Q time – crash in Q3
• Barcelona GP – Leclerc 2nd; Hamilton 2nd
• Austrian Sprint – Leclerc 3rd; Hamilton 3rd (+0.059 s Q3)
• British Sprint – Leclerc 1st; Hamilton 2nd
• British GP – Leclerc 3rd (+0.172 s Q3); Hamilton 5th (+0.226 s Q3)
• Belgian GP – Leclerc 6th (+0.002 s Q3); Hamilton 6th (+0.226 s Q3)
• Hungarian GP – Leclerc 2nd; Hamilton 3rd
• Netherlands Sprint – Leclerc 7th (+0.569 s SQ3); Hamilton 6th (+0.064 s Q3)
• Netherlands GP – Leclerc 5th (+0.064 s Q3); Hamilton 5th (4th)
• Italian GP – Leclerc 5th (+0.007 s Q3); Hamilton 5th (+0.006 s Q3)
• Spanish GP – Leclerc 4th; Hamilton 2nd (+0.495 s Q3)
• Azerbaijan GP – Leclerc 5th (+0.238 s Q3); Hamilton 3rd (+0.495 s Q3)
• Bahrain/L Malaysia GP – Leclerc 2nd; Hamilton 3rd
• Singapore Sprint – Leclerc 6th (+0.303 s SQ3); Hamilton 6th (no Q3 time)

Williams, Racing Bulls, Aston Martin: Struggle and Commitment

Williams’ Carlos Sainz and Alexander Albon face unpredictable sessions, from DNS incidents to engine penalties. Racing Bulls’ Arvid Lindblad shows steady improvements, while Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll battles offset by Monica and Bahrain setbacks.

• Carlos Sainz (Williams) – No participations, DNS in Australia; consistent 18th positions in China Sprint & GP, 17th in Japan.
• Alexander Albon – 6th vs 14th clashes: 15th in China Sprint with 0.544 s SQ1; 10th in Canada Sprint, 18th in Singapore Sprint.
• Arvid Lindblad (Racing Bulls) – 6th and 4th best: 3rd at Dutch Sprint (+0.571 s SQ3), 4th at German GP (+0.350 s Q2), 12th at Miami Sprint (+0.538 s Q1).
• Liam Lawson (Racing Bulls) – 9th at Australian GP (+1.253 s Q3), 10th at German Sprint (no time – grid penalty).
• Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) – 3rd vs 20th in Australia’s GP; 19th in China Sprint +21st in China GP (+0.792 s Q1).
• Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) – 17th in Australia Sprint; no lap times in China Sprint & GP; 19th in Monaco.
• Esteban Ocon (Haas) – 6th vs 15th: 13th in Australian GP (+0.180 s Q2), 12th in China Sprint (+0.138 s SQ2), 18th at Swiss GP (+0.631 s SQ1).
• Oliver Bearman (Haas) – 13th in Australian GP (+0.295 s Q2), 12th in China Sprint (+0.241 s SQ1), 22nd at Bahrain Sprint (+0.945 s SQ2).

In pursuing grid advantage, these teams navigate technical issues, crashes, and penalty‑laden sessions. Their performance will define the remainder of the season.