Vettel STORMS to POLE at Singapore Grand Prix – Hamilton starts FIFTH

Sebastian Vettel has taken a stunning pole at the 2017 Singapore Grand Prix, ahead of the Red Bulls and Raikkonen. Lewis Hamilton starts fifth.

Lewis Hamilton took the lead in the driver’s championship a fortnight ago in Monza, but was always pragmatic enough to admit he’d struggle to keep in front after Singapore. And he was right.

It may only be qualifying, but Sebastian Vettel took his Ferrari round the street track in Singapore at the absolute edge of both the car and his own abilities – and he blew away the rest of the field.

Ferrari was expected to have the advantage in Singapore, and they have, but for Mercedes it’s even more of a problem as the Red Bulls are the ones taking the fight to Ferrari.

Both Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo pushed to the limits and will start second and third respectively, with the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen starting fourth.

Hamilton will start fifth, but he was more than half a second off Vettel’s time, and with the Red Bulls and Raikkonen between him and Vettel in the race it’s going to be a tough shout to make progress.

Behind that top five, Hamilton’s team-mate Bottas will start in sixth, Hulkenberg in the Renault in seventh, Alonso in the McLaren in eighth, team-mate Vandoorne behind him in ninth and Sainz in the Toro Rosso in tenth.

But it was a tough qualifying for Williams, with both Massa and Stroll failing to get in to Q2, and Massa hitting the wall in the process of trying.

It was a properly thrilling qualifying, and if the race is half as good it will be a good ‘un.