F1: a violent accident for Lance Stroll, a disaster for Red Bull

Quebec driver Lance Stroll was the victim of a violent accident at the end of the first qualifying phase for the Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix on Saturday.

The Quebecer crashed into the wall at the end of a lap, but fortunately was unharmed.

Stroll lost control in the final corner of the Marina Bay circuit.

The accident resulted in a red flag.

In difficulties since the start of the weekend, championship leader Max Verstappen and his teammate Sergio Pérez will start Sunday well behind polesitter Carlos Sainz on the Marina Bay street track.

The Dutchman only achieved eleventh time, ahead of his Mexican teammate Pérez, only 13th. Worse still: the former is even under threat of several sanctions for having hindered the drivers on the track and in the pit lane.

The stewards’ decisions are expected in the afternoon and could see the Batavian move back on the grid on Sunday.

This is the first time since the 2018 Russian GP that no Red Bull competes in the final qualifying session in which pole is at stake, and that only the ten fastest in Q2 (where the Red Bulls were eliminated ) They can run.

Earlier this season, Verstappen started from 15th in Saudi Arabia – his worst performance in 2023 – due to a problem with his car. However, he finished the race second behind Perez… A good omen for Sunday’s race?

Knowing that it is difficult to overtake in the race, the main interested party does not believe it: “we don’t expect much for tomorrow, we really can’t overtake on this circuit and normally we have a pace advantage, but we won’t have it there,” he lamented before the Canal+ microphone.

Second consecutive pole for Sainz

Red Bull’s setbacks make the competition happy. Starting with Ferrari and its driver Carlos Sainz, who achieved his second consecutive pole at night – and in the oven – in Singapore after the one achieved in Italy at the beginning of September.

Very comfortable behind the wheel of his Ferrari, he will start on Sunday ahead of the British George Russell (Mercedes) and his teammate, the Monegasque Charles Leclerc, 3rd.

The Austrian team was far behind, “this is the best opportunity we have had to beat them since the start of the season,” Leclerc is happy.

Since the start of the season, Red Bull has won in each of the 14 races already held.

On Sunday, the team also has its first theoretical chance at a second consecutive constructors’ world championship title. But to achieve this, its drivers would need to finish in the first two places in the GP.

At the same time, if Mercedes, second in the championship, does not score any points (or only one if Red Bull also recovers the point for the best time), Red Bull will be declared champion for the sixth time in its history.

However, this is an unlikely scenario. Then we would have to wait for the Japanese GP in Suzuka next weekend to see Red Bull’s title chances grow.

Qualifications N.3:

1. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 1:30.984
2. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:31.056
3. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:31.063
4. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:31.270
5. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:31.485
6. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:31.575
7. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:31.615
8. Esteban Ocón (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:31.673
9. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 1:31.808
10. Liam Lawson (NZL/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:32.268

Qualifications No. 2

1. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 1:31.439 (Q)
2. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:31.743 (Q)
3. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:31.835 (Q)
4. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:31.892 (Q)
5. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:31.951 (Q)
6. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 1:31.994 (Q)
7. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:32.012 (Q)
8. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:32.019 (Q)
9. Esteban Ocón (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:32.089 (Q)
10. Liam Lawson (NZL/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:32.166 (Q)
11. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:32.173
12. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:32.274
13. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Red Bull) 1:32.310
14. Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes) 1:33.147
15. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 0.000

#1 Qualifications

1. Yuki Tsunoda (JPN/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:31.991 (Q)
2. Sergio Pérez (MEX/Red Bull) 1:32.099 (Q)
3. Nico Hülkenberg (GER/Haas-Ferrari) 1:32.100 (Q)
4. Liam Lawson (NZL/AlphaTauri-Red Bull) 1:32.215 (Q)
5. Kevin Magnussen (DEN/Haas-Ferrari) 1:32.242 (Q)
6. George Russell (GBR/Mercedes) 1:32.331 (Q)
7. Carlos Sainz Jr (ESP/Ferrari) 1:32.339 (Q)
8. Esteban Ocón (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:32.369 (Q)
9. Max Verstappen (NED/Red Bull) 1:32.398 (Q)
10. Charles Leclerc (MON/Ferrari) 1:32.406 (Q)
11. Pierre Gasly (FRA/Alpine-Renault) 1:32.452 (Q)
12. Lando Norris (GBR/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:32.483 (Q)
13. Fernando Alonso (ESP/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:32.584 (Q)
14. Lewis Hamilton (GBR/Mercedes) 1:32.651 (Q)
15. Alexander Albon (THA/Williams-Mercedes) 1:32.668 (Q)
16. Valtteri Bottas (FIN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 1:32.809
17. Oscar Piastri (AUS/McLaren-Mercedes) 1:32.902
18. Logan Sargeant (United States/Williams-Mercedes) 1:33.252
19. Zhou Guanyu (CHN/Alfa Romeo-Ferrari) 1:33.258
20. Lance Stroll (CAN/Aston Martin-Mercedes) 1:33.397