Marco: I don't know whether Norris intentionally interfered with Max.

      Max Verstappen qualified second in Singapore and after the session made it clear that on his decisive run Lando Norris impeded him in the third sector. Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko commented on Norris's actions and his driver's result.

      Helmut Marko: "Overall we're happy that we've finally become competitive in Singapore. It's just a shame that Max is second. On his decisive lap he was set to improve by one and a half tenths, but Lando Norris impeded him in the final sector. I don't know whether it was deliberate or not, but at that moment the pole became out of reach. Otherwise, by our calculations, the gaps could have been minimal.

      The team's progress was the result of many steps. We have new upgrades, but the key was a change in our working approach. We don't rely too heavily on computed results; engineers and drivers discuss setups together and look for compromises that allow us to be competitive at all tracks."

      Marko added that he was not particularly surprised by Russell's pole, and that he is worried about Mercedes' speed on the straights: "Both Mercedes drivers were quick. Kimi Antonelli was arguably faster than his teammate, but he couldn't put all three sectors together.

      What worries me more is that they made up most of the time on us in the first sector. That indicates our car is mainly losing time on the straights."