The first day of the 2022 F1 Singapore GP is now in the rearview mirror and what we have in front of us is a welcome change. Unlike the patterns that we have seen often this season, it's not Red Bull and Max Verstappen running away with the show. They are competitive without a doubt, but so are Ferrari and Mercedes.
One of the highlights of the F1 Singapore GP race weekend is watching cars with light fuel loads roar under the floodlights during qualifying. If we use FP1 and FP2 running as the barometer, then we might be in for a fun session tomorrow.
So, who is going to be on pole? Who is going to have a bad one? And who is going to pull off a surprise? Don't worry, we've got you covered as we share the predictions for the 2022 F1 Singapore GP qualifying.
Disappointment of the session (Team)
The new upgrade on the car was supposed to give Haas a jump in the pecking order. Looking at the races post-summer break, however, that's not the case.
Haas suffers from excess drag, which makes it uncompetitive on tracks like Spa and Monza. It did show signs of life at Zandvoort with its high downforce setup, which is precisely why the current state of the car is hard to understand.
Haas was nowhere in the two practice sessions and had a rather poor start to the 2022 F1 Singapore GP weekend. Expect the team to struggle tomorrow as a Q1 exit looms large.
Disappointment of the session (Driver)
Mick Schumacher is driving for his career at the 2022 F1 Singapore GP. This is precisely why his performances this weekend have been somewhat shocking. With Haas appearing to be struggling this weekend, the least that the German can do is beat his teammate.
Looking at the relative speed of the two drivers highlights the same weakness that Guenther Steiner has talked about. The young German looked like a gridbeater one weekend but then on the very next one, he fell off the wagon. Schumacher was more than half a second slower in FP1 and more than a second slower in FP2. Looking at the form this weekend, Mick Schumacher seems destined for a rough 2022 F1 Singapore GP.
Surprise of the session (Team)
Alpine's much-touted new floor might be something worth keeping an eye on. The team claimed that the floor was worth half a second. While that claim might have been a bit of a stretch, it might have helped the team pull away from the midfield pack.
Unless the qualifying simulation laps by Fernando Alonso and Esteban Ocon were a bit of a fluke or done on higher-engine modes, the team might be in for a strong weekend. Keep an eye on both Alpine drivers for something strong during the 2022 F1 Singapore GP qualifying.
Surprise of the session (Driver)
Lewis Hamilton's lap in FP1 was a surprise. His pace at the start of FP2 was a surprise as well. While the Mercedes driver could not set a representative time in FP2, one thing that was quite obvious was how good Mercedes looked on track.
In our pre-race preview, we had predicted that the German squad could struggle here due to the bumpy nature of the track. By the looks of it, that's not the case. The bumps undoubtedly exist, but they do not send the car into uncontrollable bouncing/porpoising as Mercedes appears to have cured its porpoising. Keep an eye on the seven-time world champion as he looks destined to do something impressive.
Top 3 in 2022 F1 Singapore GP qualifying
For the 2022 F1 Singapore GP qualifying, after two sessions of running, it looks like Red Bull is on the back foot. Max Verstappen didn't have a straightforward run in FP2, and on a track like Singapore, every lap is important.
Having said that, FP1 is proof enough that Red Bull is competitive here. Not as competitive as it was in Monza or Spa where it ran away with the win, but competitive enough to fight for the win.
By the looks of it, there is a strong possibility of F1 fans being treated to a Red Bull vs Mercedes vs Ferrari battle for pole position. So, who are we predicting for the top 3 in qualifying? With cars expected to be very close on pace, it could come down to driver skill and when that happens, we're going with Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Lewis Hamilton as our top 3.
While Hamilton will be more of a challenge in the race, we're predicting a P3 starting position for him and a battle for pole between Leclerc and Verstappen. With the kind of form that Verstappen enjoys right now, expect the Dutchman to score another pole position as he lines up for his 6th win in a row.
We're predicting Max Verstappen on pole position, Charles Leclerc in 2nd, while Lewis Hamilton comes home in 3rd.