Jakarta:Red Bull's Max Verstappen secured pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint, outpacing Mercedes driver George Russell in a competitive qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

According to Anadolu Agency, Verstappen, a four-time Formula 1 world champion, recorded a fastest lap time of 1 minute, 31.156 seconds. He finished 0.120 seconds ahead of Russell, earning the top starting spot for the 21-lap Sprint scheduled for Saturday.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc qualified in third place, 0.243 seconds behind Verstappen, while McLaren's Oscar Piastri took fourth, just ahead of his teammate Lando Norris. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton finished sixth, and Mercedes driver and championship leader Kimi Antonelli secured seventh place.

Liam Lawson from Racing Bulls qualified eighth, with Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Pierre Gasly completing the top 10. Antonelli currently leads the drivers' championship, holding an 84-point advantage over his teammate Russell, who retired from the previous race due to engine failure.

Russell faces an additional challenge as he will start Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to a penalty for an engine change. However, this does not impact Saturday's Sprint, where he has the chance to score points from his second-place grid position.

The Singapore Grand Prix Sprint is part of the 17th round of the 2026 Formula 1 season and is set to begin at 5 pm local time (0900GMT) on Saturday.