The China Mail - Title rivals Norris, Verstappen on 'cool' front row for Singapore GP

McLaren's Norris is 59 points behind the Red Bull driver in the drivers' championship and aiming to reduce the deficit under lights at the Marina Bay Circuit on Sunday.

Norris clocked 1min 30.002sec, 0.155sec quicker than three-time world champion Verstappen as Q3 came down to a one-lap shootout after Ferrari's Carlos Sainz crashed to bring out a red flag.

Seven-time world champion Hamilton was third and will start on the second row alongside his Mercedes teammate George Russell

Asked how he felt about having two drivers with 10 world championships behind him on the grid, Norris said: "It's pretty cool that I'm here and there's 150 wins or something between them."

Hamilton has won 105 grands prix, more than any other driver in history, while Verstappen has taken the chequered flag 61 times.

"I've got nothing on them," said the Englishman.

Verstappen staged a protest during the post-qualifying press conference against his "ridiculous" punishment for swearing in an earlier session this week.

Verstappen gave only short answers or said "no comment" to reporters after he was effectively slapped with a Formula One "community service" order for his use of foul language.

The Red Bull driver must "accomplish some work of public interest", said a panel of FIA stewards, after using the F-word in Thursday's drivers' session which was being broadcast live.

"I find it, of course, ridiculous what happened," Verstappen told reporters outside the FIA press conference room. "So why should I then give full answers?"

Meanwhile, it was a disastrous final qualifying session for Ferrari pair Charles Leclerc and Sainz, the winner in Singapore 12 months ago, who will start down in ninth and 10th on the grid.

Sainz careered into the barriers to halt Q3 with just over eight minutes remaining, leaving drivers just one shot at a flying lap.

Leclerc then had his only lap time deleted for exceeding track limits as he ran wide at turn two.

"It's a shame because this puts us on the back foot for the race, so we have to keep our expectations realistic, as to what might be possible," said Leclerc.

Verstappen had only been 15th fastest in practice on Friday and was pleased to be alongside his title rival.

- 'We have shot at it'-

"I'm happy to be on the front row if you look at where we came from yesterday," said Verstappen.

"In Singapore a lot of things can happen, but at least we have a shot at it like this."

Hamilton had also struggled in practice but managed to put a great lap together when it mattered.

"Qualifying has been a disaster for me all year long and I've been working, working and working trying to get myself back up there," said seven-time world champion Hamilton.

"All of a sudden the car came alive for the first time in qualifying in a long time.

"I hope we're in a good position to fight for the front tomorrow."

McLaren's Oscar Piastri was fifth fastest and Nico Hulkenberg of Haas will start alongside him on the third row.

"The lap was looking good until the last sector, and then I got a bit eager on the throttle and that was pretty much the end of the lap," said Piastri, who won last week in Baku.

"It's a shame, because the car was competitive."

Fernando Alonso was seventh in an Aston Martin, with Yuki Tsunoda eighth in the RB.

Verstappen's teammate Sergio Perez failed to make it to the shootout for pole position and will start from 13th on the grid.

"Overtaking around here is very tricky, we have a long night ahead of us tomorrow," said Perez.

Along with the Mexican, the other drivers who failed to get out of Q2 were the Williams pair of Alex Albon and Franco Colapinto, Kevin Magnussen in a Haas and Esteban Ocon (Alpine).

Daniel Ricciardo -- who is rumoured to be driving in F1 for the last time for RB -- was in the bottom five who were earlier eliminated in Q1.

O.Yip--ThChM