George Russell secured pole for the Singapore Grand Prix, leaving Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in second on the front row.
While Russell’s pace was impeccable, all eyes quickly turned to Verstappen’s frustration over being blocked by McLaren’s Lando Norris during his final flying lap.
max was NOT happy with norris 😭😭pic.twitter.com/cgjgJVoJ7W
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) October 4, 2025
Verstappen Blames Norris for Lost Lap
The four-time world champion’s final lap was compromised in the closing moments, prompting sharp criticism of Norris.
Sassy Max is back! 😅#F1 #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/4tMPE3Rp2f
— Formula 1 (@F1) October 4, 2025
“It was close. The lap itself was coming nicely,” Verstappen said. “But unfortunately, I had a car like two seconds
in front of me in the final chicane. I think it’s quite clear that’s not nice when it happens. It could have been avoided.”
He later elaborated on the issue.
“Look, in Q3, everyone is trying to find their own gaps on this track because you don’t want a car ahead of you at all. So that’s why everyone’s 7-8s apart. Then, when you get to the last sector and there’s a car 2-3 seconds ahead, you simply lose time. You lose downforce when braking, and that’s exactly what happened. It’s just a shame.”
Norris Shrugs Off the Complaint
Norris, who will start fifth alongside Lewis Hamilton in row three, dismissed Verstappen’s claims.
“They always complain,” the Englishman said. “They complain about everything. That’s Red Bull.”
How the rest of the grid fared
Meanwhile, Charles Leclerc will start on the fourth row alongside Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar, with Haas’ Oliver Bearman and Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso occupying the fifth.
Liam Lawson, despite crashes in practice, reached Q2 but will line up on row seven. Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, a Singapore winner, and teammate Alex Albon were disqualified and relegated to the back of the grid after race stewards found their rear wings breached technical regulations, reshuffling the starting order.
