MAX VERSTAPPEN blasted Formula One title rival Lando Norris for getting in his way after failing to land a maiden pole position at the Singapore Grand Prix.
George Russell denied old rival Verstappen the front row seat with a lightning-quick lap of 1:29.158 – a new record at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
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Max Verstappen blasted Lando Norris for getting in his way during Singapore GP qualifyingCredit: X / SkySportsF1
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Lando Norris bit back at the hot-tempered commentCredit: Getty
Verstappen, 28, is eyeing a first-ever win in Sunday’s race to complete the career set of winning at every F1 track on the 2025 calendar.
The raging Red Bull driver replied: “Yeah, that’s what happens when there’s a car two seconds in front of you cruising in front.
“So that’s noted, will be remembered as well.”
When pressed on the identity of the culprit, Verstappen replied: “Not Oscar [Piastri]. So yeah, that was a bit of a shame. Otherwise, I think it could have been close for a pole.
“It’s very exciting here in qualifying. A little bit disappointed not to be first but for us this weekend the car has been really good.
Briton Russell was delighted with his top spot, a first-ever pole for him in Singapore after a “challenging day” on Friday following a crash in FP2.
He said: “It’s good to come back and get a good result today.
“There’s a long sweaty race tomorrow but I knew there was potential in the car because Kimi [Antonelli] was doing an amazing job all weekend and I gained quite a lot from seeing what he was capable of doing.”
George Russell forced to abandon Singapore GP qualifying after smashing into barriers and mangling Mercedes
On the prospect of keeping four-time world champion Verstappen behind him going into Turn 1, Russell added: “Yeah, I mean Singapore’s not always been the kindest to me in the past.
“That’s been through my own doing the majority of the time. I’m not going to get carried away with this pole position. But it’s the best place to start.
“There’s a good pole side advantage here so I like to think I can hold the lead into Turn 1, but obviously this guy on my left is pretty good at race starts and sending it down the inside.”
Such a claim seemed off-beat considering Verstappen is 69 points behind McLaren championship leader Oscar Piastri, who scored third in Saturday’s qualifying.
Yet wins in Italy and Azerbaijan and a strong result in qualifying is threatening to split the drivers’ title race wide open despite the comparative dominance of McLaren for most of the season.
Piastri said: “I obviously would have wanted more but I don’t think we had four-tenths in it to go and get pole.”
Team-mate Norris, who will start P5 in the race, addressed Verstappen’s claim after the session.
He said: “Red Bull always complains. There was no problem with Max driving behind me. Yes, he was riding behind me. But there was such a huge distance, so no problem.”
There was early hope for Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari in qualifying as he topped the first session, but he ultimately ended up in P6 with team-mate Charles Leclerc in P7.
Team boss James Vowles later confirmed the brakes had reached temperatures of over 1000 degrees before Albon was forced to retire.
But Mercedes ace Russell then sparked more chaos in FP2 as his car went straight on into the barriers at Turn 16.
As he attempted the right hander he lost the rear before the snap correction sent him flying into the wall and prompting the first red flag of the session.
It was an incident labelled “weird” by the Briton over the team radio.
Liam Lawson followed suit not long after as he hit the wall in the run off of Turn 17.
That saw his front-left go flying down the track and the plank under his car grind along the floor as his Racing Bulls drive skidded to a halt at the pit lane entrance.
And following the restart, Charles Leclerc bizarrely smashed into McLaren‘s Lando Norris in the pit lane following an unsafe release from the Scuderia mechanics.
NOTHING screams luxury like a top-notch yacht, so it’s no wonder Mercedes boss Toto Wolff has been hosting Max Verstappen on his boat in a bid to woo the popular driver away from Red Bull.
The Formula One World Champion, 27, has been spotted sunning himself topless on the vessel just off the coast of Sardinia.
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Toto and his wife Susie regularly use the yachtCredit: Instagram
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Max owns his own yacht that could rival Toto’sCredit: Getty
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Toto’s yacht is 50 meters in length and has a Jacuzzi on the forward deckCredit: Mangusta yachts
In photos that emerged last week, he was seen enjoying the heat as he laughed with Toto, 53, who was dressed all in white.
The luxurious yacht, named Mangusta 165, is believed to have cost the racing boss £20million and spends most of the time moored in Monaco when not in use.
F1 is currently on its summer break, with the next race not until August 31 in Zandvoort.
Max’s break with the Mercedes boss has refuelled rumours that he might move to the team when his contract with Red Bull is up.
The four-time world champion told RacingNews365: “I’m in the middle. Maybe it’ll be good, maybe it’ll be bad – we’ll see.
“I’m very open-minded, honestly. I don’t even think about it too much – I’m just enjoying the moment.
“When I sit in the car next year, we’ll figure it out. I’m not making the rules anyway.”
Toto has owned his yacht, which is 50m in length and has a top speed of 25 knots, since 2023.
It boasts five bedrooms and can host 12 guests, who can also enjoy use of the jet skis and a hot tub.
The Mercedes boss isn’t the only F1 star to own a fancy yacht. Here we look at battle of the boats.
Lando Norris kisses girlfriend Margarida Corceiro after winning
Max Verstappen
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Max is reported to have bought a 33m yacht that he’s named Unleash the LionCredit: https://www.youtube.com/@MangustaYachts
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It boasts a huge living dining area inside the shipCredit: https://www.youtube.com/@MangustaYachts
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And the large master bedroom boasts a king-sized bedCredit: https://www.youtube.com/@MangustaYachts
He might have spent the beginning of his summer break on Toto’s yacht, but the F1 driver has his own boat – which has been described as a ‘Bond villain’s weekend getaway’.
It can hold up to 12 guests alongside five crew, meaning Max and partner Kelly Piquet have ample space for entertaining as well as room for their daughter, Lily, born in May.
It has an open deck to the rear which is fitted with white couches and is thought to have an area to store a speed boat.
He also has a large stateroom inside, but little else is known about the pricey vessel’s interior.
Max moored the yacht in Monaco this year when he was competing in the principality’s Grand Prix but he hasn’t posted photos since its purchase earlier this year.
George Russell
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George and girlfriend Carmen Mundt spend a lot of time on his yachtCredit: instagram/carmenmmundt
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The yacht boasts a lounging deck for sunbathing and enjoying the wavesCredit: pershing yacht
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It has four cabins that can accommodate up to eight guestsCredit: pershing yacht
British F1 ace George, 27, is the latest driver to join the yacht owner’s club with his Pershing 6X.
He splashed out £2.2million on the luxurious vessel following his success on the track.
The boat might be smaller than grid rival Max’s, but it’s not tiny either.
It has four bedrooms, four bathrooms, a kitchen and a spacious upper deck living area.
And he’s been showing the yacht off on his social media with girlfriend Carmen Mundt, 26, and a host of friends on board.
They also have a stash of pricey water toys and the racer has posted videos of him and others on a hydrofoil skimming across the sea.
Like rival Max, George is also spending his summer break from the circuit on the boat off the coast of Sardinia.
Fernando Alonso
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Fernando has made sure his yacht is as eco-friendly as possibleCredit: Sunreef Yachts
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The catamaran features 68.6 square metres of solar panelsCredit: Sunreef Yachts
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He claims he loves the peace he gets from being on the oceanCredit: Sunreef Yachts
Spanish driver Fernando, 44, has owned a Sunreef Power Eco 60 since 2023 after signing an order for it back in 2021.
Each yacht from the brand is a bespoke creation for the buyer.
The 18.3m long vessel is solar-powered, giving the boat eco-friendly credentials that most yachts don’t have.
“I think [Sunreef] is the only company that takes sustainability to a very serious level,” said Alonso during an interview with BOAT International.
“To have a fully electric catamaran powered by solar panels made perfect sense to me.”
The solar panels cover 68.6m squared across the yacht, including the roof and hull sides.
It’s equipped with two 360kw electric motors and a set of 990kwh batteries which are solar powered – making the yacht essentially silent when moving.
One of the smaller yachts owned by an F1 star, it can accommodate up to six guests and four crew.
But, for Fernando, size doesn’t matter.
Alonso said: “On board, all that matters is peace of mind, fresh air, and good company. Yachting should not be about ego.
“For me, it’s about sharing good moments and being respectful towards the environment.”
Lawrence Stroll
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The Aston Martin F1 boss has traded his huge yacht for a slightly smaller oneCredit: Getty
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Faith isn’t a small vessel at 262ft long and repotedly has a swimming pool on boardCredit: Feadship
Billionaire Lawrence, 65, has splashed some of his enormous fortune on a 262-foot long floating mansion for a cool £184.5million.
The Aston Martin F1 team owner downsized from his original yacht, Faith, to Project 714 in March – and has now also renamed it Faith.
The upper decks, enclosed in glass, contain a swimming pool, a games deck and a helicopter landing pad with a hangar below, according to Luxury Launches.
Inside, there are seven guest cabins which can hold up to 14 people as well as space for 20 crew members.
It’s thought the large vessel, which has a top speed of 17knots, has annual running costs of up to £20million.
Lawrence’s previous boat could host up to 18 people across nine cabins and had a crew of 34.
It also boasted a private cinema, nine-meter swimming pool plus a spa and plunge pool.
He sold it to business tycoon Michael Latifi when he decided to downsize to a slightly smaller vessel.
Lewis Hamilton
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Back in 2017 Lewis entertained model Bella Hadid on a yachtCredit: BackGrid
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Lewis has his own gigantic yacht which featured in a music videoCredit: Instagram @lewishamilton
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He also charters yachts when entertaining family and friends on the waterCredit: Splash
British driver Lewis, 40, is also a member of the F1 yacht club with Sunseeker 90, which he is thought to have bought in 2009 for around £2.9million.
And when he’s not feeling like being on his own boat, he charters other vessels that boast a bigger range of rooms and activities.
Sunseeker 90 is 91.9feet and can sleep up to eight guests. It boasts a top speed of 30 knots meaning it’s a speedy boat.
The yacht is normally moored in Monaco, where Lewis resides during the off season.
It features American walnut carpentry, air-conditioning, a huge kitchen and an entertainment area with a shower where guests can rinse off after a dip in the sea.
He was seen entertaining model Bella Hadid, 28, on a yacht back in 2017, but it’s not clear if he used his own boat or rented one for entertaining.
Lewis has also been spotted entertaining pals over the years, including former teammate Nico Rosberg and his own family.
Charles Leclerc
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Charles owns not one, but two yachts so he can do different things with eachCredit: https://www.instagram.com/charlottesiine/
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His Riva yacht, named Sedici, can reach speeds of up to 37 knotsCredit: Instagram
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His second yacht, named Monza, is named after the circuit where he placed 1st in 2019Credit: Instagram @charles_leclerc
Ferrari driver Charles, 27, appears to be a big fan of spending time on both his yachts – because who would have one when you could have two?
He owns a Riva 66 Ribelle named Sedici, which is Italian for sixteen – his race number – and a Riva Dolceriva open cruiser.
Sedici is a 20m sports yacht that can reach speeds of up to 37 knots and has three cabins inside.
He brought it to the Monaco Grand Prix this year, like many of his fellow drivers.
It seems to be his favourite of the two boats, as he often shares snaps from holidays on it, many with it in the background while he swims.
His second vessel is named Monza after the world-famous racing circuit – and is a speedy boat.
Charles paid approximately £1.5million for it back in 2020 and reportedly bought it to commemorate winning the Grand Prix at Monza the year before.
It’s 48ft long and can accommodate up to four guests across two cabins.
The lower deck has an L-shaped sofa with a coffee table in the centre. The master cabin has a huge king-sized bed as well as an ensuite.
