Sprint Qualifying for the 2026 F1 Singapore GP was a mixed bag for Red Bull, as Max Verstappen secured pole while teammate Isack Hadjar endured a difficult and puzzling session to ultimately end up ninth.
Verstappen continued his strong run of form by securing pole in Sprint Qualifying at the 2026 Singapore GP, retaining the position after stewards opted against penalising him over a yellow-flag incident in the opening segment of the session.
Speaking to the media after Sprint Qualifying, Verstappen conceded that Red Bull still has to address certain issues with the RB22, but was pleased overall to continue his strong run after securing a season-first win in Malaysia.
“I mean, we have some difficulties with the car ride, as we know,” he said. “But, at least, once we went to the soft tyre, I just felt like because of the increase in grip, I guess it just made the car a bit more stable in places where before you were a bit unsure.
“I did not expect this, but, yeah, we take it. I mean, I’m happy for sure.”
Verstappen stated he intends to make the most of the Sprint but added that qualifying optimally ahead of Sunday’s race is his priority.
“Qualifying is still the main goal tomorrow,” he continued. “Also, for us, I think tomorrow, the start is always a critical point, so we have to wait and see.
“And then we’ll just do our best, see what happens, but at least a positive end to the day.”
Hadjar puzzled by poor performance as F1 Singapore GP Sprint Qualifying turns sour
On the other side of the Red Bull garage, Hadjar was left searching for answers after a disappointing F1 Singapore GP Sprint Qualifying. After the session, he explained that he encountered problems, and ultimately wound up only ninth after his SQ3 lap was deleted.
He started out feeling confident earlier on Friday, but that initial promise failed to translate in Sprint Qualifying.
“Yeah, I don’t know. It’s just what seemed like a good start of the day turned into a very poor performance,” Hadjar said.
“I don’t know; I felt very comfortable straightaway in FP1, but on the hard compound, and that was it, really. I never got to have a good lap, really.
“I’m just fighting with the car. I had engine issues on the last run, I was just struggling.
“I don’t know. It’s just weird.”
An eventual switch to softs helped with grip but failed to resolve the underlying issues.
Hadjar admitted he could not fully explain the lack of performance. Frustrated and puzzled, he stated the Red Bull felt “undrivable” across the Sprint Qualifying session.
“No, I don’t know. The soft definitely feels like a huge step to the medium compound. It was a lot more grip, but it didn’t really matter anyway,” Hadjar said.
“All the other guys on the soft as well, so, yeah. I don’t know. I just don’t feel like it’s drivable right now.”
