Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix sprint qualifying ended in controversy after a race-control error gave some drivers unequal access to extra power during SQ1.
Aston Martin is considering protesting the result after the FIA admitted human error affected several cars at Marina Bay. The mistake involved Overtake Mode, which gives drivers extra electrical power to improve performance.
Race control did not successfully restore the system after a red flag, activating it for just 27 seconds before turning it off again. This left some drivers with an advantage over others during their qualifying laps.
Six drivers failed to advance to SQ2, including Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll. The FIA confirmed that the later qualifying sessions were unaffected, but teams are still seeking answers about the compromised results.
FIA Admits Human Error During F1 Singapore Sprint Qualifying
The incident began when race control stopped SQ1 to allow marshals to remove debris from the front wing of Sergio Perez’s Cadillac. Drivers went back to the track after the red flag but did not have access to Overtake Mode, which offers an additional electrical power boost during qualifying.
Drivers faced an uneven power advantage after race control briefly reactivated Overtake Mode for 27 seconds before switching it off again. As a result, drivers received different levels of access to the extra power depending on when they completed their laps and where they were on the circuit.
The FIA admitted the mistake in a statement released after the session.
“During the first period of Sprint Qualifying there was a human error in Race Control unrelated to the timing issue also encountered in SQ1.”
The governing body acknowledged that the error affected car performance based on each driver’s run timing and position around the lap. It also confirmed SQ2 and SQ3 were unaffected.
Six Drivers Eliminated as Williams Seeks Qualifying Fix
Six drivers failed to advance from SQ1: Racing Bulls driver Arvid Lindblad, Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll, Williams drivers Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz, and Cadillac drivers Sergio Perez and Valtteri Bottas.
Williams pushed for all 22 drivers to advance to SQ2 after the race-control error disrupted sprint qualifying in Singapore. However, officials rejected the request. A proposal to rerun SQ1 was also turned down because teams did not have enough fresh tyre sets available.
SQ2 faced a further delay after Formula 1 Management’s official timing system failed to record several lap times. Officials later resolved the timing problem, which was separate from the Overtake Mode failure.
FIA single-seater director Nikolas Tombazis met affected teams and drivers after the session. Williams and Racing Bulls were understood to be frustrated but indicated they would not protest the result.
Aston Martin, however, has not ruled out taking action. The team wants a fair outcome and is waiting to see whether the FIA offers another solution before deciding.
Aston Martin Considers Protest as Verstappen Takes Sprint Pole
Aston Martin faces a difficult decision because changing the qualifying result could affect other drivers’ starting positions. Officials have yet to establish a clear remedy, and there is little precedent for reversing a qualifying order after the later sessions have taken place.
The Singapore Grand Prix incident also followed operational problems at the previous race weekend. The draft’s reference to a Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia is inconsistent with the actual Formula 1 calendar and should be verified before publication.
Despite the SQ1 disruption, Max Verstappen secured sprint pole after stewards cleared him of a possible yellow-flag infringement involving Lewis Hamilton near the Perez incident. The stewards found that Verstappen had slowed sufficiently and that the speed difference made a safer reaction difficult.
Overtake Mode returned for SQ2 and SQ3 and remained available as normal. However, the SQ1 result remained unchanged as of Friday evening, leaving Aston Martin to decide whether to challenge the outcome before Saturday’s sprint.
Aston Martin Faces Tough Decision After F1 Singapore Sprint Qualifying Error