2023 Singapore GP Qualifying Preview

After the final practice session James Punt’s 2023 Singapore GP Qualifying update is ready. You can check it out below, his outright preview is available to read here.

2023 Singapore GP Qualifying

Red Bull’s prediction that they would find this track difficult has turned out to be true. They have not been better than third in any session so far and they didn’t find a solution to their lack of pace overnight, which they so often have done.

Verstappen was complaining that his seamless shift gearbox wasn’t seamless. Perez that the car was too pointy into the corners and he wasn’t happy with his braking either.

Verstappen was the lead Red Bull and 0.313 off Carlos Sainz. Perez was only eighth quickest and with his poor qualifying in 2023, he could yet miss out on Q3.

Ferrari For Pole?

If Red Bull aren’t going to be on pole, who is? Ferrari, and very likely Carlos Sainz.

Fresh from his pole – podium at Monza, he has looked hooked up from the off and just that bit better than teammate Charles Leclerc. Ferrari got the Monza – Singapore pole double with Leclerc last season.

This season, it looks like they can achieve the same with Carlos Sainz. Their car has been good in 90 degree corners this year, see the pole at Azerbaijan, and this track has put them into their sweet spot.

Russell A Threat

Threats? George Russell has got the bit between his teeth this weekend and he has outpaced Hamilton in the more relevant FP2 and in the qualifying sim runs in FP3. Conditions at the end of FP3 are not that far off what they will face in qualifying later and he was less than a tenth off Sainz.

Traditionally, the Ferrari has better one lap pace than the Mercedes, but come the race, that is reversed. George has had back to back second rows and looks well placed to at least get another and maybe a front row.

He also looks well placed to out qualify his teammate for the third race in a row. Russell can be backed at 17.00 with each way terms of 5th the odds 1-3 with Betfair, and that nearly made the list. I have gone for a match bet instead and didn’t want the double bet curse to strike.

McLaren Upgrade

McLaren have brough an upgraded car this weekend. Lando Norris has the full suite of upgrades while rookie Piastri only some. Norris has a new floor and that is where the guts of the aero performance is generated. He was a couple of tenths off Sainz and that is a fairly big chunk to find.

Sadly for our ante post bet on an Alonso podium, they have got slower as the weekend has gone on. Alonso just couldn’t settle in sector 2 and ended up outside the top 10.

Haas have found that qualifying pace that they sometimes do. Hulkenberg has made Q3 six times and while he will need to deliver a perfect lap to do so again, he is in the mix. They have had a car in the top 10 in the last two sessions.

Qualifying Selections

2023 Singapore GP Qualifying Tip: 2 points Carlos Sainz to be the fastest qualifier @ 2.75 with SpreadEx

2023 Singapore GP Qualifying Tip: 2 points George Russell to out qualify Lewis Hamilton @ 1.67 with Ladbrokes, Unibet

I had hoped to be able to get a price for Hulkenberg to reach Q3 but nothing is showing up so far.

-JamesPunt