Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc will start in the night race in Singapore on Sunday from the first row. The 21-year-old sovereign of Monaco drove the fastest lap on the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Championship leader Lewis Hamilton had to settle for the Mercedes place. Third-fastest Sebastian Vettel was in the second Ferrari.
Last Leclerc had won the race in Spa and Monza. Now he took the third Pole Position in the series. “I’m extremely happy,” said Leclerc, “we came here and knew that this track would be difficult for our car. But we have brought some Updates, and it is nice to see that they work so well.”
Leclerc had snatched Vettel on Pole with the last fast lap. Also Vettel had felt “in the car”. But the last attempt he didn’t manage to do well. “And unfortunately, the route towards the end it was always quicker,” said Vettel afterwards.
New nose in Singapore
Behind the German Red Bull driver Max Verstappen (Netherlands) in fourth, only ranked five Valtteri Bottas (Finland) is in second, Mercedes, Renault driver Nico Hulkenberg (Emmerich) goes from rank nine to 15. Race of the season.
The curvy route of the night race in the Southeast Asian metropolis comes on the paper much more Mercedes and Red Bull. Ferrari brought a new nose to Singapore. On Friday in free practice the gap to Hamilton and Red Bull ACE Max Verstappen almost disillusioning large from the point of view of the Red. Over night but a huge leap forward succeeded the Ferrari but.
Hamilton praises opponents Ferrari
Hamilton, who has, despite the last two wins by Leclerc for his sixth world title firmly in his sights, recognized the development of the Scuderia: “I don’t know where Ferrari has today found its Pace. It was very strong.” He was “glad that I am standing in the first row between the two. I’m going to tackle the race aggressive.”
But Vettel, driving in Singapore, with custom-made chrome-colored helmet, is likely to risk in the race on Sunday, because: In the barn fight with the eleven years younger Leclerc Vettel, the four-time world champion threaten the skins to swim away.
The Pole Position in Singapore is, however, a race similar to the value of as Monaco, the mother of all city. Although the roughly five-kilometre-long stretch along the Marina Bay because of its characteristic accidents and thus Safety-Car deployments, which can whirl the ranking by each other favours – but so far, eleven runs later the winner came in the “lion city” eight times from the top spot in the race.
Something also, Nico Hulkenberg has to show. The Emmerich, whose contract expires at Renault at the end of the year and is not extended, secured with a ranking of nine is a good starting position for the race. However, only a few Cockpits for 2020 are free.
RF/jj (dpa, sid)