Max Verstappen unleashed a pointed barb at Lando Norris after Saturday’s qualifying for the Singapore Grand Prix, accusing the McLaren driver of getting in his way on his final flyer of a tense Q3 session that ultimately denied him a shot at pole position.
The four-time world champion will start Sunday’s race from second on the grid, lining up alongside Mercedes’ George Russell after a dramatic qualifying that ended with Verstappen’s frustration spilling over both on the radio and in his post-session interviews.
The Red Bull driver had looked on course to challenge Russell for the top spot before encountering Norris’s McLaren ahead of him through the final sector of his lap.
Moments later, Verstappen’s race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase summed up the team’s irritation with a clear radio message: “You can thank your mate for that. Hard luck.”
Verstappen didn’t hold back when speaking to David Coulthard afterwards, taking aim at Norris – though initially without naming him.
"That's what happens when there's a car in front of you just cruising two seconds in front," Verstappen said. "That's noted, it will be remembered as well."
©RedBull
When asked to clarify which rival he was referring to, Verstappen replied: "Not Oscar [standing next to the Dutchman]. So that was a bit of a shame, otherwise I think it could have been close for pole.”
The four-time world champion later confirmed it was indeed Norris who had disrupted his lap.
Despite his irritation, Verstappen still saw positives in his qualifying performance.
"It's always very exciting here in qualifying,” he said. “Of course I'm disappointed to not be first, but for us this weekend so far has been really good. The car has been very competitive, so for us to be second again is very good."
Button: “Lando didn’t have to move”
Replays showed Norris was a couple of seconds ahead of Verstappen as the Red Bull approached the final chicane – close enough to generate aerodynamic turbulence but not close enough to constitute an obstruction under the rules.
Sky Sports F1 consultant Jenson Button sympathized with Verstappen’s frustration but insisted Norris had done nothing wrong.
"With these cars, you get affected by a car a couple of seconds up the road, which is a pain, but that's why they move over immediately," Button explained.
"I think he's frustrated Lando didn't move over before the chicane. He doesn't have to within the regulations, but it obviously hurt his front end as he turned into the corner and put him off line."
For Verstappen, the sting of a missed pole – and the memory of Norris “cruising two seconds in front” –will surely linger when the lights go out at Marina Bay.
2025 Singapore Grand Prix - Qualifying results
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