Max Verstappen admitted his surprise after beating George Russell to pole position for the sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix, after settings issues affected several cars once again.

Verstappen will start Saturday's sprint from the front of the grid after finishing 0.12 seconds quicker than Russell, with Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualifying in third.

McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris placed fourth and fifth, respectively, with Lewis Hamilton in sixth and drivers' championship leader Kimi Antonelli seventh.

Five days after a software bug in the engine settings provided by the FIA caused widespread issues during formation laps at the Malaysia Grand Prix, there were more issues at Marina Bay.

This time, the problem affected cars to varying degrees, depending on the timing of their runs, with some drivers complaining of reduced power. 

Confirmation: Max will Sprint from Pole #F1 || #SingaporeGP  https://t.co/vDDcTRtyij

— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) October 9, 2026

The FIA later said a "human error" had caused the overtake mode to be made unavailable for some drivers following a red flag that was introduced due to Sergio Perez crashing out.  

Verstappen also had to wait two hours for his pole to be confirmed, as he was investigated for passing Hamilton through a yellow-flag zone, though it was later decided there had been mitigating circumstances, with the four-time world champion holding onto top spot.

"It's always close here in Singapore. On the lap itself, you're pushing as hard as you think is possible, close to the walls in places," Verstappen told Sky Sports.

"Once we bolted on the soft tyres, it felt like the car was coming alive a little bit more, but I did not expect this. Of course, I'm very happy to be first.

"I think the last few races we have been a lot stronger, but this track still highlights a few little weaknesses in the car. We managed to drive with them as well as possible."

Saturday morning's sprint race will be followed by qualifying for Sunday's main race, as Verstappen hunts back-to-back victories after his success at the Malaysia Grand Prix.