Singapore Grand Prix: George Russell beats Max Verstappen to pole at Marina Bay

Mercedes’ George Russell stole the spotlight from the title contenders with a stunning pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Russell’s first pole since the Canadian Grand Prix in June, which he won, was achieved by 0.182 seconds from Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.

McLaren’s championship leader Oscar Piastri took third place, with his title rival and team-mate Lando Norris fifth, behind Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli.

Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc took sixth and seventh.

It was Mercedes’ first pole in Singapore since Hamilton set his famous lap in 2018 and came as a surprise as Russell gatecrashed Norris and Piastri’s fight.

The talk before the weekend was about whether Verstappen could beat McLaren and take a third consecutive win.

And while Verstappen does start the race ahead of both McLarens, and with a strong chance of bolstering his title credentials, it was Russell who came out on top.

He set the fastest lap on his first run in final qualifying, despite brushing the wall out of Turn 17, and then lowered it by 0.007secs on his second run.