2025 F1 Singapore GP: Qualifying Predictions

The first day of running in the F1 Singapore GP is done and dusted, and the timesheets are arguably as inconclusive as ever. We have Oscar Piastri in his McLaren at the top of the standings, and he's followed by Isack Hadjar in P2 in his Racing Bulls.

The second and arguably more conclusive session was marred by red flags, which meant that the running was interrupted and the qualifying simulation wasn't ideal for anyone involved.

With that being said, it was still the familiar sight of a McLaren driver at the top of the standings. The top 5 drivers are from 4 different teams in a rare show of how close the grid is in terms of performance.

The most important session of the race weekend does come on Saturday. However, as there is potentially rain on the horizon, what could we expect from the F1 Singapore GP qualifying? Let's take a look.

#5 If it rains, it's anybody's session

The forecast when it comes to Singapore is such a trickster because of the climate of that part of the world. Rain is expected at various points during the race weekend, but because of the highly humid nature of the region, the forecasts can be off by a lot.

In case we do have rain interruptions, it's anybody's game at that point. A narrow track with white lines all over means that it's not a track you want to be on with slick tires when it is wet.

Rain could throw a spanner in the works for sure, and at that point, it's all up in the air for anyone to capitalize and make the most of.

#4 Fernando Alonso is the dark horse

We have been terming Fernando Alonso the dark horse for the weekend, even in our preview and predictions, and rightly so. The Aston Martin has shown performance on these high downforce tracks in the past as well, and the F1 Singapore GP track layout has similar demands.

The first two sessions give an indication that the Spaniard genuinely has a strong pace in the car, but we'd still have to wait and see if they can hold on to this level of performance as things ramp up on Saturday.

#3 Mercedes and Ferrari drivers are vulnerable to midfield contenders

George Russell didn't get much running in, while Charles Leclerc looked strangely uncomfortable in the car on Friday. Their respective teammates, Kimi Antonelli and Lewis Hamilton, did have a better run for the F1 Singapore GP, but it does appear that both Mercedes and Ferrari don't have the pace to keep up at the sharp end of the grid.

That's where a lot of the midfield contenders are going to filter in, as teams like Williams, Racing Bulls, Haas, and Sauber appear to have competitive enough cars that can jump into contention and fight for top 5 positions in qualifying.

For the F1 Singapore GP qualifying, unless both Ferrari and Mercedes make a step, the drivers could potentially be vulnerable to midfield contenders.

#2 Max Verstappen is a contender for pole, but not the favorite

Coming into the weekend, we cautioned against writing off Max Verstappen, and we're going to do it again. The Red Bull has made steps in the slow-speed sections, as was evident on Friday. The RB21 is a much-improved machine, and in a straightforward session, the Dutch driver will be in contention to battle for pole position.

Does he have the pace to nail it? We doubt that because it did appear that the McLaren was keeping its rear tires in better condition in the third sector, and hence, for now, we're backing the Dutch driver to be one of the top 3 qualifiers for the F1 Singapore GP.

#1 Lando Norris secures pole position for the F1 Singapore GP

If we go by what Lando Norris had to say after day 1, it might be a hard pick to go for the McLaren driver, but it does appear that a part of his compromised run was due to what happened in the pits. Prior to that, Norris did appear to have the edge on Oscar Piastri throughout the day, and it was only right at the end that the balance just went away from him.

This is something that can be worked on and fixed, and that is exactly what the driver would be hoping to achieve. We're backing the British driver to secure his second consecutive F1 Singapore GP pole position ahead of his title rivals.