Lewis Hamilton lost valuable time in Singapore after a setup adjustment upset Ferrari’s balance.

Ferrari may be wondering whether both drivers could have secured the front row at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton dominated the early stages of qualifying, topping both Q1 and Q2, but a late adjustment to his front wing disrupted the balance of his car. Charles Leclerc came within 0.054 seconds of Max Verstappen’s pole position, while Hamilton finished another 0.069 seconds behind his teammate.

Hamilton Dominated Q1 and Q2

Hamilton looked particularly strong during the opening qualifying sessions. He finished Q1 with a 0.345-second advantage over Leclerc before carrying that pace into Q2. There, the seven-time world champion became the first driver to break the 1:32 barrier in Singapore this year, finishing 0.110 seconds ahead of Verstappen.

Hamilton set the pace in the opening stages of qualifying.

Ferrari appeared to have a genuine opportunity to challenge for pole position. Leclerc also believed the car had the potential to deliver an even stronger result, but the final qualifying session unfolded differently for the Scuderia.

Hamilton decided to make a small adjustment to the front wing, increasing the angle of the right-hand flap in an attempt to generate more downforce. The change, however, produced an unexpected effect on the car’s balance.

The Front Wing Adjustment Changed Everything

Although Hamilton improved his lap time in Q3, the gain was minimal compared with the progress made by Leclerc and Verstappen. Track evolution also played a role, as grip levels increased throughout the session.

Hamilton admitted that Ferrari had pushed the setup beyond its ideal operating window.

“The car felt good. My team, the engineers and the mechanics did a fantastic job between the sessions,” Hamilton explained.

Ferrari’s front-wing adjustment was intended to unlock additional performance.

He explained that the car had felt exceptionally strong in Q1 and Q2, encouraging him to search for even more performance in the final session.

“The only way to try to extract that potential was to add a little more load to the wing. And by doing that, I think we simply went over the limit,” Hamilton said.

The adjustment left the Ferrari feeling nervous and difficult to control. Hamilton struggled to put together a clean lap in Q3, despite having shown enough pace earlier in qualifying to suggest he could fight for pole position.

Oversteer Exposed Ferrari’s Narrow Setup Window

The change in balance was particularly visible in the car’s behavior through the corners. Hamilton had to make significant oversteer corrections at Turn 3 during both of his Q3 attempts. He also made repeated steering corrections through the final chicane.

Hamilton struggled to keep the Ferrari balanced during his final qualifying attempts.

The Briton described the challenge of finding the right setup balance as a delicate process in which even a small adjustment can have a substantial effect.

“With our car, there is a very fine line between going over the limit and staying below it, and finding that sweet spot is very, very difficult,” he said.

Hamilton added that he had probably found that balance during the first two sessions. However, drivers and engineers must also account for the changing track conditions, which can make an earlier setup decision less effective later in qualifying.

Track Evolution Complicated Ferrari’s Decisions

Singapore is a street circuit that sees limited competitive running outside the race weekend. As more rubber is deposited on the asphalt, grip generally increases, changing how the cars behave from one session to the next.

This creates a difficult challenge for teams. A car may become faster because the circuit offers more grip, rather than because a setup change has improved its performance. Separating those two factors is crucial when deciding whether to make further adjustments.

Ferrari’s decision to add front-wing load was an attempt to capitalize on the potential Hamilton had demonstrated earlier in qualifying. Instead, the change appears to have pushed the car beyond its ideal balance, leaving him unable to reproduce his earlier pace.

Hamilton was ultimately grateful to finish third, particularly given the difficulties he encountered in Q3. Ferrari still showed enough speed to challenge for pole, but the narrow margins in Singapore meant that a small setup misjudgment had a significant impact on the final result.

Honda will replace Alonso’s power unit overnight, leaving the Aston Martin driver facing a tougher Singapore Grand Prix.

Fernando Alonso’s difficult weekend at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix has taken another turn. Honda has confirmed that it will replace the power unit in his Aston Martin after persistent performance problems during Saturday’s Sprint and qualifying sessions. The change will trigger a grid penalty, leaving the Spaniard facing an even greater challenge at a circuit where overtaking is notoriously difficult.

Honda Identifies Persistent Energy Management Problems

Honda’s trackside general manager and chief engineer, Shintaro Orihara, explained that the team had continued investigating energy management issues following a wet Sprint race. Rain shortly before the session created challenging track conditions and made it difficult to assess the power unit’s performance.

Alonso struggled to find consistent performance from his Aston Martin in Singapore.

“Weather conditions shortly before the Sprint created a wet track, making energy management particularly challenging,” Orihara explained. He added that the session still provided valuable data for Honda to analyze.

The manufacturer reviewed that information and worked to optimize its settings before qualifying. However, the changes failed to deliver the improvement Alonso needed, leaving the team with further questions about its power unit.

Alonso Eliminated in Q1 After Losing Power

Alonso continued to experience a lack of power, particularly when accelerating out of corners. The Aston Martin driver recorded the 17th-fastest time in qualifying and missed the cutoff for Q2 by just 54 thousandths of a second.

Honda opted to replace the power unit after reviewing Alonso’s complaints and the team’s data.

Following the session, Honda decided that continuing with the existing unit was not worth the risk. The replacement will take place overnight, although the team still faces considerable preparation work before Sunday’s race.

“Following Fernando’s comments during qualifying, we have decided to replace the power unit overnight,” Orihara confirmed. He emphasized that the team would remain focused on preparing the car for the Grand Prix.

Alonso Warned Honda About the Engine Problems

The decision did not come as a surprise to Alonso. After qualifying, the two-time world champion had already indicated that something was wrong with the Honda power unit and acknowledged that a replacement could be necessary, even if it meant starting further back on the grid.

“We have had engine problems throughout the day, starting with the Sprint. It seems we are losing a lot of time on corner exits,” Alonso said.

Alonso had warned that a power unit replacement might be necessary.

The Spaniard also pointed to the turbo as a component that needed checking. “We need to check whether the turbo is okay and, if it needs changing and we have to start from the back of the grid, we will do it,” he explained.

The power unit change gives Honda and Aston Martin an opportunity to address the issues that compromised Alonso’s Saturday. However, the resulting grid penalty adds another obstacle to an already difficult weekend.

Alonso will now look to recover ground on Sunday while hoping that the replacement power unit delivers the performance he lacked during qualifying.

McLaren team principal Andrea Stella has condemned the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri during the Singapore Sprint, warning that team interests must come first.

McLaren is dealing with the fallout from a costly clash between its drivers at the 2026 Singapore Grand Prix. Andrea Stella described the collision between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri as unacceptable after both cars made contact on the final lap of the wet Sprint.

Stella Demands Accountability After McLaren Crash

Norris attempted to overtake Piastri on the inside of Turn 5, but the gap closed before he could back out of the move. His McLaren struck the rear-right side of Piastri’s car, sending both drivers into a spin.

The collision between McLaren teammates disrupted both drivers’ races on the final lap.

Piastri suffered significant damage to the rear of his MCL40 and retired. Norris continued to the finish but dropped to eighth place. The stewards investigated the incident and decided against further action, concluding that both drivers had contributed to the collision and neither was predominantly responsible.

The crash also created additional work for McLaren. The team had to repair the damage to Piastri’s car and replace its gearbox, adding costs and putting valuable championship points at risk.

Stella made his position clear when discussing the incident. “Seeing two McLarens touch each other in that way is simply unacceptable,” the team principal said.

He added that the team would address the matter privately with both drivers, emphasizing that McLaren’s collective interests must take priority over individual ambitions.

McLaren’s Papaya Rules Under Renewed Scrutiny

The collision has renewed attention on McLaren’s internal racing guidelines, known as the papaya rules. The team strengthened its approach to managing battles between its drivers after several incidents during the 2025 season.

Stella says the team’s interests must remain above individual ambitions.

Stella stressed that no driver or individual should place personal interests above those of the organization. His comments underline McLaren’s concern that internal battles must not compromise the team’s championship objectives.

Piastri confirmed that Norris apologized to both him and the team. The Australian accepted the apology and said the incident should not have happened, particularly given the limited potential gain from the attempted overtake.

“The most important thing is that we cannot allow these things to happen, both because of the points and because of the workload and money involved,” Piastri explained.

He also acknowledged that the two teammates had made contact before. However, he believes their willingness to apologize and move forward is an important part of their working relationship.

Norris and Piastri Agree to Move Forward

Norris also accepted that both drivers could have handled the situation differently. He said neither teammate wanted the Sprint to end that way and confirmed that they had discussed what happened.

Both drivers acknowledged the incident and said they had discussed the situation.

The stewards’ decision to share responsibility meant neither driver received a penalty. Piastri did not challenge that outcome, suggesting that trying to get his teammate punished would not be a productive response.

The immediate priority for McLaren is to prevent a repeat of the incident. The collision cost the team points, damaged a car and required extra work from its mechanics during a demanding race weekend.

Although Norris and Piastri have accepted the need to move on, Stella’s response makes clear that McLaren expects both drivers to protect the team’s interests when racing each other.