Lewis Hamilton attributed Ferrari’s diminished qualifying performance in Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix to a last-minute setup adjustment. The Ferrari driver secured third position on the grid for Sunday’s race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Max Verstappen claimed pole position for Red Bull with a 1:31.373 lap time. Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc qualified second, just 0.054 seconds behind Verstappen. Hamilton’s lap was 0.123 seconds off pole.
Hamilton had demonstrated strong form throughout the earlier qualifying sessions. He topped both Q1 and Q2, indicating significant potential within the SF-26 chassis.
The seven-time world champion explained that he felt the car had more performance to extract. To achieve this, a minor front wing angle adjustment was made before Q3.
This small change, described as ‘one hole’ of adjustment, unexpectedly pushed the car ‘over the edge.’ Hamilton reported the car became ‘snappy,’ compromising his Q3 laps.
Charles Leclerc also faced challenges during qualifying, particularly with braking issues in Q1 and Q2. However, he delivered a strong final lap in Q3 to secure a front-row start.
Ferrari’s SF-26 displayed impressive performance through the technical sections of the Marina Bay circuit. Telemetry data suggested the team had the theoretical pace for pole position.
Qualifying took place on a dry track, following a heavy storm that had disrupted the earlier sprint race. The circuit evolved rapidly as rubber was laid down.
Mercedes, meanwhile, ran split car specifications in Singapore. Kimi Antonelli qualified fourth, while George Russell, who was sixth, will start from the back due to engine penalties.
With both Ferraris starting directly behind Verstappen, Hamilton expressed confidence in their ability to work together. The team aims to apply pressure on the Red Bull driver during the race.
