F1 Singapore GP LIVE: Race schedule and start time as Lando Norris starts on pole
F1 live updates from the Marina Bay Street Circuit as Norris starts on pole ahead of title rival Max Verstappen
Lando Norris boosted his world championship hopes by securing an impressive pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix on Saturday.
Under the thousands of bulbs that light up the Marina Bay circuit, Norris posted a dazzling lap to beat rival Max Verstappen by 0.203 seconds.
Lewis Hamilton qualified third for Mercedes, one place ahead of team-mate George Russell, with Oscar Piastri fifth for McLaren.
Last year in Singapore, Sainz claimed a famous victory for Ferrari in what was the only 2023 race not won by a Red Bull car.
Follow live updates from the Singapore Grand Prix
Why F1 drivers lose more weight at Singapore GP than any other race
Within a calendar which now stretches across 24 races, the Singapore Grand Prix – F1’s original night race, which first became a mainstay of the schedule in 2008 – remains the ultimate outlier in terms of conditions. And the ultimate challenge.
With humidity close to 90% and track temperatures around 40C (though it can feel even hotter in the cockpit), drivers lose 2-3kg in sweat alone.
For taller drivers, it can be as much as 4kg, which equates to 3-4% of their bodyweight.
More detail below:
Why F1 drivers lose more weight at Singapore GP than any other race
With humidity close to 90% and track temperatures around 40C, Singapore’s race presents a unique challenge
Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career looks doomed again – and he can have no complaints
When handed a second chance in Formula One last summer, Daniel Ricciardo had his aspirations set higher than a paltry seat at Red Bull’s sister team. As he told The Independent, the effervescent Australian made no secret of his desire to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull, with 2025 a realistic target. Yet what matters in this sport – beyond a joyous expression and personality – is two-fold: the stopwatch and the standings.
Ricciardo, try as he might, has not been up to scratch on both. A crying shame, for his fans and fans of the sport. Heading into round 18 of the 2024 season in Singapore this weekend, the 35-year-old is 14th in the championship standings but, more significantly, languishes 10 points behind his teammate Yuki Tsunoda.
And so we arrive to now, with Ricciardo’s F1 future on the verge of disintegration once again.
Full piece below:
Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career looks doomed again – and he can have no complaints
Ricciardo had his sights set on Sergio Perez’s seat at Red Bull but he simply has not been up to scratch at RB
Driver Standings heading into the Singapore Grand Prix:
1. Max Verstappen - 313 points
2. Lando Norris - 254 points (-59)
3. Charles Leclerc - 235 points
4. Oscar Piastri - 222 points
5. Carlos Sainz - 184 points
6. Lewis Hamilton - 166 points
7. Sergio Perez - 143 points
8. George Russell - 128 points
9. Fernando Alonso - 58 points
10. Lance Stroll - 24 points
11. Nico Hulkenberg - 22 points
12. Yuki Tsunoda - 22 points
13. Alex Albon - 12 points
14. Daniel Ricciardo - 12 points
15. Pierre Gasly - 8 points
16. Oliver Bearman - 7 points
16. Kevin Magnussen - 6 points
18. Esteban Ocon - 5 points
19. Franco Colapinto - 4 points
20. Zhou Guanyu - 0 points
21. Logan Sargeant - 0 points
22. Valtteri Bottas - 0 points
Lewis Hamilton after qualifying P3 in Singapore:
“Ah man, qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long. I’ve been working and working, all of a sudden it came alive in qualifying for the first time in qualifying. I think there was a tiny bit more left in the car, but I’m grateful for it.
“We’re in a good position to fight tomorrow.”
Could this be Daniel Ricciardo’s final F1 race?
Daniel Ricciardo admits his future in Formula One is shrouded in uncertainty ahead of this weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Speculation is rife that a decision on RB’s 2025 drivers is expected in the next few weeks – due to a clause in Liam Lawson’s contract – and Ricciardo did not dismiss the rumours out of hand.
“I know how it is and how it works, and I knew there was always going to be some dates and deadlines this year, whether it was the summer break or now post-Singapore, so post-Singapore is the next one,” he told Sky Sports F1.
“Honestly, it’s still, so many things are up in the air. Let’s see how the weekend goes. Obviously, I’m going to give it all I can, as I have. There’s always something to fight for. We’ll see what happens. Try to get the thing on the podium, that’s my plan.”
What is the starting grid for today’s race?
1. Lando Norris
2. Max Verstappen
3. Lewis Hamilton
4. George Russell
5. Oscar Piastri
6. Nico Hulkenberg
7. Fernando Alonso
8. Yuki Tsunoda
9. Charles Leclerc
10. Carlos Sainz
11. Alex Albon
12. Franco Colapinto
13. Sergio Perez
14. Kevin Magnussen
15. Esteban Ocon
16. Daniel Ricciardo
17. Lance Stroll
18. Pierre Gasly
19. Valtteri Bottas
20. Zhou Guanyu
F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Lando Norris on beating Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in qualifying
“It’s pretty cool that I’m here and there’s World Championships, I mean, there’s 150 wins or something between them,” he said after securing pole position in Singapore.
“So, yeah, I’ve got nothing on them and nothing compared to them.
“So I find it cool, you know, that I’m here and I’m amongst them and yeah, trying to fight against them. I think that’s pretty awesome in my regard.”
F1 Singapore Grand Prix: What time is the race and how can I watch?
The race starts at 1pm (BST).
How can I watch it online and on TV?
The Singapore Grand Prix will be broadcast live on Sky Sports in the United Kingdom - and ESPN in the United States. Sky’s coverage of Sunday’s race starts at 11:30am (BST).
Sky Sports subscribers can watch all the action in Singapore on the Sky Go app. If you’re not a Sky customer you can grab a NOWTV Day Pass here to watch without a subscription.
F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Raceday!
Good morning and welcome to live coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit!
Lando Norris starts on pole and tantalisingly is alongside the man he is trying to catch in the championship, Max Verstappen.
Lewis Hamilton starts in third with Mercedes team-mate George Russell in fourth - Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc is down in ninth!
Stay with us for all the build-up and coverage - the race starts at 1pm (BST)!
Lewis Hamilton encourages Max Verstappen to ignore FIA’s orders in Singapore
Lewis Hamilton has urged Max Verstappen to snub his community service order – after his Dutch rival took on Formula One’s rulemakers by refusing to answer questions in the FIA’s press conference for Sunday’s Singapore Grand Prix.
Lando Norris kept his cool in the heat and humidity of the Marina Bay circuit to put his McLaren on pole position. He will be joined on the front row by Verstappen, who he trails by 59 points, with Hamilton third.
An extraordinary press conference, featuring Norris, Verstappen and Hamilton, then followed, which the triple world champion effectively boycotted, 24 hours after he was sanctioned by F1’s governing boy for swearing in Thursday’s media call.
Full piece below:
Lewis Hamilton encourages Max Verstappen to ignore FIA’s orders in Singapore
Verstappen has been punished for using bad language.
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