Formula 1
Singapore
Grand Prix
live
Updated 32s ago
It’s qualifying day as Formula One takes to the streets of Marina Bay for the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix this weekend.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri is in need of a response after a difficult weekend at the Azerbaijan GP last time out, while Red Bull’s Max Verstappen — who won in Baku — will be hoping to pile the pressure on his two McLaren rivals once again.
Final practice today saw Liam Lawson crash out for a second time, after doing so in FP2 yesterday, with Verstappen fastest — but the top five separated by just 0.090s.
It’s qualifying next, and you can follow it all live below with our experts and correspondents.
Join the conversation: live@theathletic.com
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And here is how the rest of the field shook up behind Max Verstappen’s session-best time …
That is not what Aston Martin had promised yesterday, and it doesn’t look great for Yuki either.
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Here’s how the top 10 looked from that final free practice in Singapore — in short, TIGHT …
A little surprising to see Charles down there, but boy does this all tee up qualifying nicely.
Boy, are we in for a thriller of a qualifying session under the lights tonight.
Just over half a second covers the top 10 in final practice, including seven — yes, seven! — different teams.
Super fine margins that mean the tiniest of mistakes or a subtle change in conditions could end up having a big, big impact.
For now though, it’s advantage to Max Verstappen and Red Bull. Despite his track record (unintentional pun, I’m sorry) in Singapore — this being the only circuit on the calendar where he has never won — Verstappen has set the pace today by just 0.017 seconds ahead of Oscar Piastri in P2.
Red Bull are deliberately staying coy on talk of the title comeback. But if Verstappen can win here, then I really do think we can start seriously discussing his chances again. It would be a huge, huge moment in his season.
There’s a long way to go before that, of course — starting with qualifying later today, where Verstappen will surely face the pressure from the chasing pack. Piastri and Lando Norris ended up P2 and P5. Norris has been a small step behind his teammate this weekend, while the Mercedes of George Russell and Kimi Antonelli ended up splitting the papaya cars.
Also, keep an eye out for Carlos Sainz and Isack Hadjar, who ended up sixth and seventh.
This should be a thriller of a qualifying session later. Singapore is a track where treading the line of risk and reward is a careful art. It could well be a key moment in the narrative of this season.
A reminder here that Max Verstappen has never won here in Singapore.
He’s also never taken pole position.
If ever there was a driver who didn’t require additional motivation to perform …
Some late shenanigans for the two Alpine drivers, but they both survive it.
And so does Max Verstappen’s leading time of 1:30.148s.
In the end, Oscar Piastri gets up to P2 with Lando Norris the other side of those two improving Mercedes.
That top five is separated by just 0.090s. Woof.
Brilliant work from both Mercedes drivers here, as the slip in behind Max Verstappen’s lead lap.
What a huge step forward compared to the pair being well down the FP2 order yesterday.
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FP3 0:00 — Out comes the checkered flag. That’s it for the flying laps, bar these last ones to complete and then some practice starts.
It remains Max Verstappen at the top of the time sheet right now, and McLaren may have a real battle on its hands here.
I’ve taken a look at the video of Lewis Hamilton under the red flag. After passing Liam Lawson’s stricken Racing Bulls car, he speeds up quite a bit and then pushes for a series of corners before then slowing in the last sector.
It will be up to the stewards to rule whether he was going too quickly when he sped up.
My view — and, to be very clear, I am not an FIA steward (shocker!) and don’t have access to the data — is that it doesn’t look great. He was going at a fair pace despite the red flags.
We’ll find out when they take a look after the session.
FP3 5:17 — Lewis Hamilton’s red flag infringement will be investigated after this session.
The stewards have pinged drivers this season for going too quickly or overtaking cars under a red flag due to the severity of safety breach it represents.
Ollie Bearman has twice been at fault, getting a 10-place grid penalty and four points on his FIA super licence each time.
Let’s see what faces Hamilton now.
With the soft tires on, the teams are starting to flex their pace a little more to give us a clearer picture of the pecking order — and it’s looking super, super close.
Max Verstappen is still P1 for now, ahead of George Russell and Lando Norris, but just half a second covers eight drivers from six different teams.
Verstappen being in such a good groove is a really positive sign for Red Bull. The team has long struggled at this circuit, and Verstappen himself is not a fan of street tracks.
If they can convert it into pole and win this weekend, then it would be a huge statement for his title hopes.
FP3 9:42 — Into the final 10 minutes and here we go. Charles Leclerc and then Lando Norris takes over top spot, with Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri also in the mix.
But it’s Max Verstappen fastest right now, with a 1:30.148, ahead of George Russell.
And these margins right now are FINE.
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FP3 16:51 — All bar three cars out on track, this is the calm before the storm of those final runs ahead of qualifying.
Strap in.
FP3 22:57 — It was just the seven laps for Liam Lawson in FP3. He only managed 10 in FP2.
Even if that Racing Bulls car is repaired in time for qualifying, which would be miraculous, he will have a tall order in front of him to make it through Q1.
Meanwhile, we’re going to start seeing these times come down now as we approach the final third of this final practice session.
Kimi Antonelli is now fastest out there, setting a 1:30.760 in his Mercedes.
Lewis Hamilton has been noted by race control for a possible red flag infringement.
It’s unclear what may have happened, and no confirmation yet of an investigation, but the stewards have been very strict on those so far this year.
FP3 29:29 — A busy few seconds for Williams.
Carlos Sainz locks up but gets the safety of a runoff area.
Then Alex Albon sticks his car P2, within two-tenths of Lando Norris’ FP3 benchmark so far — a 1:31.021s.
We’ve halfway through this final practice session already.
FP3 35:25 — We are back underway on the track, so not too much time lost there.
And there weren’t any unsafe releases either (that I’ve seen).
Here is how Liam Lawson lost it in the first place …
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That’s a second crash in three practice sessions for Liam Lawson.
At a time when he’s trying to make a case for his F1 future amid the inevitable reshuffle across Red Bull and Racing Bulls going into 2025 — so it’s not been an encouraging weekend thus far.
He had no chance of saving that after losing the car running over the curb.
Also, spare a thought for the mechanics down at Racing Bulls. That’s a second major rebuild in the space of 24 hours to undertake.
FP3 39:54 — Liam Lawson reports that he’s fine, which is good news. The medical car was automatically deployed due to the impact of the crash — an automated sensor puts out that information.
But that is such bad news. The shunt yesterday needed a lot of work from the mechanics, and this one is arguably bigger. Will Racing Bulls have the parts available — and also the time to turn it round before the Q1 has come and gone?
Terrible outcome for a driver still hoping to secure his seat for 2026.
And of course, the clock keeps ticking when we get a red flag in free practice — so everyone is missing out.
FP3 45:05 — Oh no! Turn 7 has a stricken Racing Bull left in bits. The red flag is out and so is Liam Lawson from this session.
A nightmare, given he also crashed out of FP2 yesterday
That’s a nasty one.
