Carlos Sainz Secures Back-to-Back Poles in Singapore GP Qualifying As RedBull Finally Falters

Singapore, a city known for its breathtaking skyline, played host to a thrilling qualifying session for the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, with Ferrari's Carlos Sainz emerging as the pole-sitter. Sainz's scorching lap time of 1:30.984 secured him back-to-back pole positions, just edging out Mercedes' George Russell by a mere 0.072 seconds.

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Sainz's Ferrari teammate, Charles Leclerc, locked in the third spot on the grid. The competition was fierce, with less than a tenth of a second separating the top three drivers.

However, the real drama unfolded for the Red Bull Racing Team, which had enjoyed an unprecedented 15-race winning streak. Both Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez faced early exits in Q2, dashing their hopes of extending this remarkable run. 

Verstappen will start 11th on the grid, while Perez will be further back in 13th.

The Marina Bay Street Circuit, which had previously favoured Red Bull, seemed to work against them this time. Verstappen's Q2 run was marred by a moment at Turn Three, while Perez suffered a spin at the same corner. These incidents led to both Red Bull drivers expressing their frustration over the team radio.

Verstappen faced three post-session investigations, with two reprimands issued for blocking incidents. However, the stewards took no further action regarding the third case, stating that Verstappen had "not unnecessarily impeded" Logan Sargeant during Q1.

Meanwhile, Lando Norris secured fourth place for McLaren, trailing Sainz's pole time by just a quarter of a second. Lewis Hamilton will line up next to Norris in fifth place.

Notably, Haas driver Kevin Magnussen delivered an outstanding performance, securing the sixth spot on the grid. He was followed by Fernando Alonso in his Aston Martin and Esteban Ocon in the Alpine, with Nico Hulkenberg of Haas in ninth place. Liam Lawson, who was instrumental in knocking Verstappen out of qualifying, rounded out the top ten.

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The first part of the qualifying session came to an abrupt halt due to a massive crash by Lance Stroll at the final corner. Fortunately, Stroll walked away from the wreckage, and he was cleared by the on-site medical team to return to the paddock.

1) Carlos Sainz, Ferrari

2) George Russell, Mercedes

3) Charles Leclerc, Ferrari

4) Lando Norris, McLaren

5) Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes

6) Kevin Magnussen, Haas

7) Fernando Alonso, Aston Martin

8) Esteban Ocon, Alpine

9) Nico Hulkenberg, Haas

10) Liam Lawson, AlphaTauri