Lewis Hamilton's duel with Sebastian Vettel takes another dramatic twist as arch-rival claims pole for Singapore GP

Pour that man a Singapore Sling. In the shadow of Raffles Hotel, origin of this city-state’s timeless cocktail and throwback to its colonial past, Sebastian Vettel delivered a lap of such exhilarating audacity that he could only scream incoherently over his in-car radio.

Pushing his Ferrari close to the ragged edge, even bashing the wall as he tore out of the 19^th of Marina Bay’s 23 corners, he toasted a crucial pole with his best cat-that-got-the-cream grin. “This is an amazing track,” he said, “when your car comes alive.”

In the 10 stagings of Formula One’s night-time spectacular, none have mastered these Singapore streets better than Vettel. Three times a victor for Red Bull, he is in the perfect position to claim his second win here in Ferrari red. Better still, Lewis Hamilton, whom he trails by three points in the quest for world championship No 5, could only manage fifth as Mercedes, invincible in Italy a fortnight earlier, looked fallible once more. Hamilton claims to have been revitalised by the vegan diet he has adopted in recent weeks, but he could not conquer the limitations of his machinery.

The difference is in the downforce. Where Mercedes could exploit its power advantage without mercy on the long straights of Monza, its cars’ lack of grip relative to Ferrari creates a headache in the twisting maze of Singapore. “There are many things you have to get right, and many you can get wrong,” Vettel said. Renowned for his fastidious homework on every permutation – he sometimes lingers in the garage for hours after a practice session, digesting the data – he came good on Saturday when it mattered most.

Just as the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo appeared poised to lock out the front row, Vettel pounced with one of the finest laps of his career, showing a sparks-flying, foot-to-the-floor aggression of which Steve McQueen would have been proud. “Still full of adrenalin,” he said, breathlessly, having shrieked ‘grande lavoro!’ (‘great work’) to his Ferrari engineers. “So, whatever I say will make no sense. I need to calm down a bit.”

Vettel understood the stakes at play. Having been eclipsed by Hamilton in successive grands prix since the summer break, he needed a star turn to recapture the championship lead that he has held for 11 of 13 races. This, emphatically, did the trick. On a stage where he knew Mercedes would struggle, Vettel took his cue to plunder. All through practice he had trailed the Red Bull pair, but thanks to some overnight simulator work by back-up driver Charles Leclerc at Ferrari’s Maranello headquarters, he gleaned the knowledge necessary to bridge the gap.

Often Vettel is at his swiftest when conditions are at their steamiest. Three times on the top step in Singapore, he is also a triple winner in Malaysia, where F1 decamps next. More than any others, these are the two races that challenge the fitness regimes of the drivers, who lose up to 4½ lbs in body weight during the 61 laps of this sopping endurance test, but Vettel, weighing all of 9 ½ stone dripping weight, is as fit as they come.

So is Hamilton, who of late has been persuaded to take up veganism. “It’s something I have been moving towards,” he explained. “First I stopped eating red meat, then chicken. After seeing a few documentaries, I realised that the cruelty we show towards animals was something I didn’t want to support. Plus, I want to lead a healthy life. A lot of friends I have met along the way say that they have gone vegan and that it is the best decision they ever made. When I see how some meat clogs up your arteries, there’s no way I’m putting myself through it. I have had heart disease and cancer in my family and I don’t want to go down the same route.”

Hamilton also delivered an impassioned monologue about global warming, a touch dubiously given his constant private jet use and Mercedes’ sponsorship by oil giant Petronas. A figure of intense but changing convictions, he remains the greatest enigma of the F1 grid. He will need every drop of his driving talent to make up four places to Vettel on Sunday afternoon, on a Singapore track where it is notoriously difficult to overtake.

“It is the worst case for us, Lewis’ main championship rival being on pole, with both Ferraris in between,” Toto Wolff, Mercedes’ head of motorsport, acknowledged. “It is a wake-up call – we are still lacking the pace in both cars.”

He did not sound optimistic about Hamilton’s prospects of a third straight win, describing the best possible outcome as the least points loss to Vettel. A battle that has smouldered for seven months between these two looks likely, with seven races left, to last the course.

3:35PM

How they will line up tomorrow

1 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1min 39.491secs

2 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1:39.814,

3 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:39.840

4 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:40.069

5 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:40.126

6 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:40.810

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:41.013

8 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:41.179

9 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:41.398

10 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.056

11 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:42.107

12 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:42.246

13 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:42.338

14 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:42.760

15 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:43.883

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:43.756

17 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:44.014

18 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.728

19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.059

20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.570

NOTE: Ericsson receive a five-place grid penalty for a gearbox change.

3:31PM

 A subdued Hamilton

On Singapore: "We knew that we would come here and it would be difficult. We knew that today would be tough. I didn’t anticipate Ferrari would be as fast."

On qualifying: "I got everything I could out of the car. Now I’m just hoping.

On the race: "This is a crap track for overtaking, it’s usually a long, long train, Starts, strategy and safety car are the only way we will get something."

3:29PM

A fairly relaxed Fernando Alonso.

On qualifying in P8: "We knew that this circuit could bring a good performance for our car and happy to be in Q3 today - for both cars - so it's half the job done. "

"We believe that we have a good car."

On his future: "I think in the next couple of weeks. First I need to concentrate on this weekend. I need ot discuss with the team, the prospects for next season and after that I'll make the decision. "

On the team: "I have been happy and everything is there to be competitive. 

On Vandoorne: "Stability is good and it's good that he's competitive but still behind [me]."

3:18PM

A word from Toto Wolff

"It’s what we [at Mercedes] expected, we always hope for better but it’s probably realistically where we are in Singapore."

3:17PM

Verstappen getting older

Max didn't manage to get a pole position as a teenager with his 20th birthday in two weeks time.

But you wouldn't put it past him to get his second win tomorrow. 

3:12PM

A happy Honey Badger

3:11PM

The championship leader

It's definitely not the position Hamilton would want to start in as his lead over Vettel is only three points, but the Mercedes were behind the other two teams for the majority of the weekend. 

3:09PM

A word from the pole sitter

3:08PM

A Vettel sandwich, maybe...

Ricciardo suggests that his team have better race pace than the Ferraris, which should make for an interesting start with Verstappen alongside Vettel on the front row. 

3:06PM

SEBASTIAN VETTEL TAKES POLE POSITION IN SINGAPORE

The Ferrari driver takes his fourth pole at the Marina Bay circuit ahead of Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Raikkonen and Lewis Hamilton.

Valtteri Bottas is in P6, followed by Nico Hulkenberg, Fernando Alonso, Stoffel Vandoorne and Carlos Sainz.

Vettel is extremely excited after trailing the Red Bulls all weekend.

3:03PM

Final laps

Hulkenberg, Alonso, Vandoorne and Sainz stay in the pits. 

Raikkonen can't improve on P4. 

Verstappen can't got better either, and it's the same for Hamilton who remains in P5 although his lap was slightly quicker. 

Vettel improves and he strengthens his hold on pole. 

2:58PM

Nightmares for the Mercedes

2:57PM

Two minutes left of Q3

Every one is making their way out of the pits again as they look to maintain or better their current position. 

2:56PM

Four minutes left of Q3

As it stands, Vettel starts on pole ahead of Verstappen, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Bottas, alonso, Vandoorne, Hulkenberg and Sainz.

2:54PM

Six minutes left of Q3

Raikkonen goes first with a 1:40.069 and Hamilton is just behind him. Only for Ricciardo, Verstappen and Vettel to go fastest. 

If it remains the same then it would be the German's fourth pole at the track. 

2:52PM

Eight minutes of Q3 left

Hamilton has complained about tyre temps but his engineer told him to ignore the sensors because the team "isn't trusting them".

Alonso sets a time of 1:41.944, ahead of Vandoorne, Hulkenberg and Sainz

2:50PM

Q2 classification

2:49PM

Q3 is underway

And we're off for the top ten shootout. alonso is out first.

Remember, seven of the last nine winners have won from pole in Singapore. 

2:45PM

Not a happy Kvyat...

2:44PM

End of Q2

Out are Palmer, Perez, Kvyat, Ocon and Grosjean. 

2:42PM

Final laps

The McLaren's are having a better day following the news that they will no longer use a Honda engine. Alonso is in P8, two behind his teammate.

Sainz  moved into P10. Palmer goes from P10 to P11.

Perez complains about the tyres that have no grip.

Verstappen remains fastest and Ricciardo goes second. 

2:37PM

Three minutes left of Q2

2:35PM

Five minutes left of Q2

Everyone is back in the garage. Remember, pole can be vital here because seven of the nine winners have started at the front. 

2:33PM

As it stands

Verstappen leads Vettel, Ricciardo, Raikkonen, Hamilton, Vandoorne, Bottas, Hulkenberg, Sainz and Palmer. 

2:32PM

Eight minutes left of Q2

Verstappen goes into P1 with the McLaren of Vandoorne into P3, but he loses a place when Ricciardo jumps into P3. 

The Silver Arrows aren't looking at their best weekend. 

Grosjean, Ocon, Kvyat, Perez and Alonso are all at risk at the moment.

2:29PM

11 minutes left of Q2

Raikkonnen sets a 1:40.99 and Hamilton is .076s behind him. Bottas goes P3, before Vettel leapfrogs them all to go top. 

2:26PM

Q1 classification

2:25PM

Q2 is underway

Raikkonen heads out onto track first and he's followed by Hamilton - they are both on the ultras. 

2:23PM

Those final laps of Q1

A lot of driver's pulled it out of the bag on their final time around the track. But seeing the times that people like Palmer and Sainz achieved, the top six cars will be working a bit harder in Q2. 

2:21PM

Final laps

Kudos to the Williams team after they got Massa back out on track. 

Stroll moves in P16 and Sainz gets himself up into P3. Very impressive from the new Renault driver. 

Kvyat is now in P6, before being knocked down by Palmer who goes 6th fastest. That knocks Massa into the drop zone.

Hulkenberg goes into P9 and what a difference one lap can make. 

The guys dropping out are Ericsson, Wehrlein, Stroll, Massa and Magnussen.

2:17PM

Seconds left of Q1

Grosjean has lost his car twice already today - once into the wall at that dreaded Turn 21 and once into the run-off area. But he is in P10, so he may have a bit of luck today. 

The guys at risk are Massa, Stroll, Wehrlein, Magnussen and Ericsson. Final laps are underway. 

2:15PM

Three minutes left of Q1

Verstappen goes fastest and pushes his teammate into P2. Hamilton is P3 ahead of Bottas, Raikkonen, Vettel, Perez, Ocon, Vandoorne and Alonso. 

P11 is Hulkenberg and he's followed by Kvyat, Sainz, Palmer, Magnussen. Wehrlein, Stroll, Massa, Grosjean and Ericsson. 

The bottom five will end ther day here if it remains this way. 

2:12PM

Six minutes left of Q1

Ricciardo leads again, ahead of Hamilton who is 0.038s behind. They are followed byt Verstappen, Bottas, Raikkonen, Vettel, Perez, Vandoorne, Ocon and Alonso. 

The driver's at risk are Massa, Grosjean, Stroll, Wehrlein and Ericsson.

2:10PM

Eight mins left of Q1

Both Verstappen and Kvyat have expressed concerns that the track is slippy after a Porsche caught fire in the one of the support races after FP3. 

Massa is in trouble after clipping the wall and puncturing a tyre. 

2:05PM

12 mins left of Q1

Kimi sets the first time of 1:44.060 as everyone is on the ultrasoft tyres. 

The Mercedes are the only cars not out on track yet. Vettel sets his time and is 0.620 behind his teammate.

2:04PM

14 mins left of Q1

Raikkonen, Sainz, Kvyat, Vettel, Stroll,  Magnussen, Grosjean are all out on track with Alonso on his out lap.

2:02PM

Nice hat Valtteri

2:01PM

Q1 underway

Wehrlein is the first man out onto the track and he'll be keen to qualify as high up as possible with his teammate, Ericsson, having a five-place grid penalty.

Not to mention the uncertainty surrounding his own future. 

1:59PM

Sneaky smooches

Don't get jealous, but several driver's were kissing this weekend. But it was the walls and barriers they were getting up close and personal with.

It will be interesting to see if it compromises anyone's qualifying this afternoon. Or this evening, if you are lucky enough to be in Singapore. 

1:55PM

Five minutes to go

Time to get comfortable and possibly do a mad kitchen rush if you need some refreshments. 

Qualifying will start in five minutes time. 

1:51PM

Under the lights

It is pretty spectacular.

1:49PM

Who will win in Singapore?

1:47PM

A decade of night races in Singapore

This will be the tenth race at the Marina Bay circuit and the contract has been renewed until 2021. 

Only four drivers' have won at the track with Vettel leading the way with four. Alonso and Hamilton have been victorious twice and Rosberg joined them last year on his way to the title.

1:43PM

Unlucky Ericsson

Marcus Ericsson has a five-place penalty after a gearbox change.

1:36PM

The Marina Bay circuit 

As you can see, there are a few twists and turns on this track. It has the highest number of turn with 23 on the 5.065km track. 

1:28PM

Predict the podium

There is still time to add your thoughts and predict who will be the top three in Singapore this weekend.

I went for Ricciardo, Hamilton and Vettel. 

1:25PM

Earlier today

Mercedes and Ferrari have ruled the roost for the past three years but Red Bull appear as if they could repeat the poles Vettel got for them between 2011-2013.

They have topped all three practice sessions this weekend. 

Here are the times from FP3:

1 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 41.829secs

2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:41.901

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:41.971

4 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:42.383

5 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:42.439

6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:42.517

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:42.549

8 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:42.592,

9 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:42.708,

10 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:43.010,

11 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:43.109,

12 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.356,

13 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:43.368,

14 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.574,

15 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:43.724,

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:44.041,

17 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.223,

18 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:44.295,

19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.760,

20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:46.339

1:18PM

How they stand

Following Hamilton's win in Italy, he leads the championship for the first time this season. Here is how the result at Monza affects both tables. 

1:15PM

A conscious uncoupling

If you hadn't heard; the relationship between Honda and McLaren is over and the British team will be powered by Renault from next season. Toro Rosso will be using Honda engines and Carlos Sainz will replace Jolyon Plamer at Renault. 

It is the least surprising F1 news of the year and it means that Fernando Alonso is likely to continue as a McLaren driver.

Their Executive Director, Zake Brown has called the new relationship "exciting".

You can catch up here with this piece by Oliver Brown. 

1:10PM

A crucial fight for pole

Seven of the last nine winners have started from pole position in Singapore, with Vettel and Hamilton having started at the front on three occasions each. 

1:04PM

Hello and good afternoon

Formula One is back in Singapore and with just three points between Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, getting pole today could be crucial in the championship race.

1:02PM

Max Verstappen tops final practice at Singapore Grand Prix as Lewis Hamilton continues to improve

By Phil Duncan, in Singapore

Max Verstappen continued Red Bull's impressive run in Singapore by posting the fastest lap time in final practice.

Daniel Ricciardo topped both sessions here at the Marina Bay circuit on Friday, and Verstappen led the way in the final one-hour running before qualifying.

Verstappen edged out Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel by just seven hundredths of a second, while championship leader Lewis Hamilton was third.

It could be a case of damage limitation for Hamilton, who holds a three-point lead over Vettel, and his Mercedes team this weekend with the slow-speed street circuit expected to suit Ferrari and Red Bull.

Nevertheless, Hamilton was just 0.142 secs slower than Verstappen. His Mercedes team-mate Valtteri Bottas, who has struggled here so far, was further back in eighth.

While Verstappen finished fastest, it was not a session without drama for Red Bull. First, Ricciardo brushed the barrier on the exit of turn 10 before Verstappen limped back to the pits in the closing moments with an apparent gearbox problem.

McLaren formally confirmed their divorce from engine supplier Honda on Friday, and they were an impressive fourth and fifth in the standings with Fernando Alonso edging out Stoffel Vandoorne at a circuit not reliant on power.

The narrow confines of the Marina Bay track make it among the most challenging on the calendar as Marcus Ericsson discovered to his cost.

Ericsson lost control of his Sauber and thudded the barrier, sustaining damage to the rear of his car. With debris scattered on the track, the session was suspended for 10 minutes.

Elsewhere British driver Jolyon Palmer, who will be replaced at Renault by Carlos Sainz in 2018, finished 13th, 1.5s off the pace.

Final Practice Times

1 Max Verstappen (Ned) Red Bull 1min 41.829secs

2 Sebastian Vettel (Ger) Ferrari 1:41.901

3 Lewis Hamilton (Gbr) Mercedes GP 1:41.971

4 Fernando Alonso (Spa) McLaren 1:42.383

5 Stoffel Vandoorne (Bel) McLaren 1:42.439

6 Daniel Ricciardo (Aus) Red Bull 1:42.517

7 Nico Hulkenberg (Ger) Renault 1:42.549

8 Valtteri Bottas (Fin) Mercedes GP 1:42.592,

9 Kimi Raikkonen (Fin) Ferrari 1:42.708,

10 Sergio Perez (Mex) Force India 1:43.010,

11 Esteban Ocon (Fra) Force India 1:43.109,

12 Carlos Sainz (Spa) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.356,

13 Jolyon Palmer (Gbr) Renault 1:43.368,

14 Daniil Kvyat (Rus) Scuderia Toro Rosso 1:43.574,

15 Felipe Massa (Bra) Williams 1:43.724,

16 Kevin Magnussen (Den) Haas F1 1:44.041,

17 Lance Stroll (Can) Williams 1:44.223,

18 Romain Grosjean (Fra) Haas F1 1:44.295,

19 Pascal Wehrlein (Ger) Sauber-Ferrari 1:45.760,

20 Marcus Ericsson (Swe) Sauber-Ferrari 1:46.339