News Summary
- Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar will start the Singapore Grand Prix from the pit lane after changes to their cars following qualifying.
- George Russell moves to 19th on the starting grid, despite receiving a combined 60-place power-unit penalty.
- Max Verstappen retains pole ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton, while Gabriel Bortoleto remains 14th for Audi.
The starting grid for the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix has undergone another significant change after Fernando Alonso, Lance Stroll and Isack Hadjar were moved to pit-lane starts following modifications to their cars under parc fermé conditions.
The three drivers had originally been expected to line up towards the back of the field, but changes made by Aston Martin and Red Bull mean they will no longer occupy their grid positions. As a result, George Russell moves up to 19th, despite his accumulated 60-place power-unit penalty.
Max Verstappen remains on pole position after setting a 1:31.373 in Saturday’s qualifying session, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Kimi Antonelli starts fourth for Mercedes, followed by the McLarens of Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Why Alonso, Hadjar and Stroll will start from the pit lane
The changes were detailed in the FIA technical delegate’s report following Saturday’s qualifying session.
Red Bull replaced several power-unit components on Hadjar’s car, including the internal combustion engine, turbocharger, exhaust set and power-unit ancillary component.
The Frenchman had already endured a difficult Saturday, retiring from the sprint before suffering repeated technical problems in qualifying. He initially reported an engine shutdown and later complained of losing gears, preventing him from setting a representative lap.
GRANDE PRÊMIO reported Hadjar’s technical problems during Q1, which left the Red Bull driver at the bottom of the classification.
Aston Martin also carried out changes to Alonso’s power unit, including the installation of another turbocharger, after the Spaniard complained about the car’s performance.
Mike Krack had already confirmed the decision to change Alonso’s power unit, following a qualifying session in which neither Aston Martin advanced beyond Q1.
In addition to the power-unit changes, suspension setup modifications were made to Alonso’s, Stroll’s and Hadjar’s cars under parc fermé conditions.
Those changes require all three drivers to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the pit lane.
Russell moves to 19th despite 60-place penalty
Russell had qualified sixth for the Singapore Grand Prix but was already facing a substantial grid penalty after Mercedes exceeded the permitted allocation of several power-unit components.
The original penalty of 40 positions increased to 60 places following further changes to the energy store and control electronics.
GRANDE PRÊMIO detailed Russell’s additional power-unit penalties, which followed the engine failure he suffered at Sepang.
Russell had initially been expected to start 22nd, but the three pit-lane starts remove Alonso, Stroll and Hadjar from the grid itself.
The Mercedes driver therefore becomes the last of the 19 drivers starting from the grid, with the three remaining competitors joining the race from the pit lane.
Singapore GP 2026 — revised starting grid
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Qualifying time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | M. VERSTAPPEN | Red Bull RBPT Ford | 1:31.373 |
| 2 | C. LECLERC | Ferrari | 1:31.427 |
| 3 | L. HAMILTON | Ferrari | 1:31.496 |
| 4 | K. ANTONELLI | Mercedes | 1:31.562 |
| 5 | L. NORRIS | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.712 |
| 6 | O. PIASTRI | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.860 |
| 7 | P. GASLY | Alpine Mercedes | 1:32.225 |
| 8 | L. LAWSON | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:32.369 |
| 9 | A. LINDBLAD | Racing Bulls RBPT Ford | 1:32.781 |
| 10 | N. HÜLKENBERG | Audi | 1:32.784 |
| 11 | O. BEARMAN | Haas Ferrari | 1:32.908 |
| 12 | E. OCON | Haas Ferrari | 1:33.323 |
| 13 | C. SAINZ | Williams Mercedes | 1:33.526 |
| 14 | G. BORTOLETO | Audi | 1:33.658 |
| 15 | F. COLAPINTO | Alpine Mercedes | 1:33.787 |
| 16 | A. ALBON | Williams Mercedes | 1:34.289 |
| 17 | S. PÉREZ | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:35.123 |
| 18 | V. BOTTAS | Cadillac Ferrari | 1:35.984 |
| 19 | G. RUSSELL | Mercedes | 1:31.747 — penalty |
| Pit lane | F. ALONSO | Aston Martin Honda | 1:34.223 |
| Pit lane | L. STROLL | Aston Martin Honda | 1:34.946 |
| Pit lane | I. HADJAR | Red Bull RBPT Ford | No time |
Revised starting order following the reported pit-lane starts and Russell’s penalties. The final grid remains subject to any further FIA changes.
Verstappen leads Ferrari as Singapore prepares for race start
Verstappen will start from pole after beating Leclerc by just 0.054s during Saturday’s qualifying session, with Hamilton third, 0.123s behind.
The Red Bull driver also won Saturday’s rain-affected sprint, taking his first victory at Marina Bay before securing his 50th career Grand Prix pole.
Ferrari has both cars immediately behind Verstappen, with Hamilton acknowledging that the team may need to use its two drivers together to challenge Red Bull.
“We could definitely, hopefully work as a team tomorrow to try and hold on to Max and put them under pressure,” Hamilton said after qualifying.
GRANDE PRÊMIO reported Hamilton’s plan to challenge Verstappen, following Ferrari’s second and third places in qualifying.
Antonelli starts fourth with an 89-point advantage over Russell in the Drivers’ Championship, while McLaren teammates Norris and Piastri occupy the third row.
The Singapore Grand Prix starts on Sunday, October 11, at 20:00 local time, equivalent to 13:00 BST in the United Kingdom, 08:00 ET in the United States and Canada, and 17:30 IST in India.
The complete Singapore GP race schedule and broadcast information is available in GRANDE PRÊMIO, which follows the latest Formula 1 news throughout the weekend.
