Leclerc becomes Singapore’s first back-to-back polesitter, Latifi reaches 50 Q1 exits in record time and Norris records McLaren’s best Marina Bay qualifying result in a decade. Here are the facts and statistics from qualifying at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix!
LECLERC ON POLE FOR 2022 SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX
Charles Leclerc took the 18th pole position of his career at the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, equalling Mario Andretti, Rene Arnoux and Kimi Raikkonen for 16th in the all-time list of most poles.
Leclerc became the first driver to take back-to-back pole positions at the Singapore Grand Prix in its 13-race history, while Ferrari are the first team to take consecutive poles at Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Taking his ninth pole position of the year, Leclerc becomes only the 15th driver to have taken nine poles in a single season. Leclerc is only the third Ferrari driver to achieve the feat, after Niki Lauda and Michael Schumacher. Schumacher was the last Ferrari driver to do so, in 2001.
Leclerc took pole position by just 0.022 seconds – the second-smallest pole margin in Singapore Grand Prix history.
This was the sixth pole position for a Ferrari-powered car at the Singapore Grand Prix, setting a new record for the most poles for an engine manufacturer at the venue.
IN THE TOP 10
Sergio Perez secured a front row qualification for the fifth time in his career. This was the first time Perez has qualified in the top six at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Perez out-qualified team-mate Max Verstappen for only the fourth time this year. It’s the first time he has done so since the Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Qualifying in third place, Lewis Hamilton secured his best qualifying result of the 2022 season to date.
Carlos Sainz qualified in fourth place, securing his best Singapore Grand Prix qualifying result. His previous best was sixth place in 2016 with Toro Rosso.
With fifth place, Fernando Alonso equalled his second-best Singapore Grand Prix qualifying result. This was the fourth time the Spaniard has qualified fifth here. While it’s his best qualifying result in Singapore since 2014, it’s the Enstone team’s best qualifying result at Marina Bay since Romain Grosjean qualified third in 2013.
Alonso reached Q3 for the 192nd time, overtaking Kimi Raikkonen for the third-most Q3 appearances since the qualifying system was introduced in 2006.
Lando Norris qualified in sixth place, recording McLaren’s best Singapore Grand Prix qualifying result since Lewis Hamilton took pole position in 2012.
With Pierre Gasly in seventh and Yuki Tsunoda tenth, this was only the second time that the Red Bull junior team reached Q3 with both cars at the Singapore Grand Prix. They last did so in 2016. It’s also the first time this year that the team has reached Q3 at three consecutive races.
On the fifth anniversary of his maiden F1 appearance, Gasly reached Q3 in Singapore for the first time.
Max Verstappen didn’t get chance to complete his final qualifying lap, so qualified only eighth. It equals his worst Singapore Grand Prix qualifying result, set in 2015. Nevertheless, the Dutchman maintained his 100% Q3 record at Marina Bay.
Kevin Magnussen reached Q3 in Singapore for the first time since 2014. This is only the second time that a Haas driver has reached Q3 at Marina Bay. Romain Grosjean qualified eighth with the team in 2018.
OUT IN Q2
For the first time since the Miami Grand Prix, George Russell failed to reach the final part of qualifying. This was the first time that a Mercedes driver has failed to reach Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix. Jenson Button was the last Brackley-based team driver who failed to reach Q3 here, doing so when the team was under its Brawn GP guise in 2009.
This was the first time since the Miami Grand Prix that neither Aston Martin driver was eliminated in Q1, ending an 11-race streak of at least one Q1 elimination.
Lance Stroll is still yet to reach Q3 in Singapore, but this was the first time that he’s made it to Q2 at Marina Bay.
Sebastian Vettel missed out on Q3 at the Singapore Grand Prix for only the second time in his career. His Q1 elimination in 2016 is his only worst qualifying result at the venue.
OUT IN Q1
Esteban Ocon qualified only 18th, recording his third Q1 elimination of the year – his first since the Miami Grand Prix. This was the Enstone team’s first Q1 exit at the Singapore Grand Prix since 2016.
Daniel Ricciardo was eliminated in Q1 at the Singapore Grand Prix for the first time since 2011.
Valtteri Bottas failed to make it out of Q1 in Singapore for the first time in his career. This was the Finn’s third Q1 elimination in the last four races.
With Alex Albon 19th and Nicholas Latifi 20th, this was the second time that Williams have locked-out the back row at the Singapore Grand Prix. They last did so in 2018. This was the team’s fourth consecutive double Q1 exit at Marina Bay.
Latifi became only the seventh driver to record 50 Q1 exits. Latifi reached the milestone in record time, doing so on his 56th appearance. The previous record for the fewest number of races in which a driver has reached 50 Q1 eliminations was for Marcus Ericsson, who did so on his 66th appearance.