SEBASTIEN VETTEL TURNED on the style in the final session of qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix to snatch pole position from the previously dominant Red Bulls.
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Max Verstappen heads his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in second, after the energy drinks giant being fastest in every practice session until qualifying.
When asked by TV crews who was to blame for the crash, Verstappen said: “Mainly Sebastian”.
Verstappen lapped the 5 km Formula One track that winds its way through the heart of Singapore in one minute 41.829 seconds.
Vettel came into the weekend trailing chief title rival Lewis Hamilton by a slender three points, though Singapore’s twisty streets were expected to provide Ferrari with a chance to claw back some momentum in the championship fight.
Mercedes have braced themselves for a hard weekend and although Hamilton posted the third-quickest time, it was a long way adrift of the lead Red Bull. Don’t know where it (lap) came from. The vehicle was tricky but was getting better, better and better. “I knew we had it in us but we had to get there”.
“I could see Kimi had a great start so I tried not to defend that as it’s a long race but after 200 metres everything was done”.
“It wasn’t a brush, it was a hit”, Vettel said.
Verstappen added: “It is promising, but a shame we couldn’t put it on pole. Coming out of Turn 3 I was just excited to race Sebastian, I was like “it’s on, I’m ready for it” and then obviously he had a problem with the auto or whatever it was and lost control”.
Ricciardo finished second on the Singapore podium past year, and he merely smiled when asked about the possibility of staving off the Mercedes and Ferrari challenge come race day.
The third row of the grid is locked out by the Silver Arrows, as Valtteri Bottas joins his teammate in sixth. Sainz completed the top 10 for Toro Rosso. The Force India of Sergio Perez finished fifth.
Renault’s Jolyon Palmer will start ahead of the Mexican after missing out on Q3 by the smallest of margins. The last two spots on the points table were taken by Romain Grosjean and Esteban Ocon finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
Magnussen was the first man to switch to the ultrasofts on lap 25, and Massa did not waste time either, he stopped for the same set. An oil spill that occurred in the support event made conditions slippery through Turn 20 and 21.
Stroll has struggled with consistency in his rookie season.
On the other hand, with drivers struggling for grip, which has led to numerous lock-ups and brushes with the walls, the next hour could spring some major surprises.
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Expectedly, all drivers started their first run on the ultra soft tyres.
