F1 Singapore Grand Prix: Lando gets pole position and a lizard gets a red flag

A lizard disrupted an F1 Singapore Grand Prix 2024 practice session

By Bruce Brown Published September 21, 2024

BWT Alpine F1 Team - 2024 Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, Friday practice. — BWT Alpine F1 Team - 2024 F1 Singapore GP, Friday practice. BWT Alpine F1 Team / BWT Alpine F1 Team

Leaping lizards! The 2024 F1 Singapore Grand Prix is on Sunday, September 22. Friday and Saturday’s practice sessions and the qualifying event featured competitive driving, but a practice session was red-flagged while race officials chased a lizard from the track. The three-stage qualifying session ended with McLaren’s Lando Norris in pole position for Sunday’s race.

Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen and Mercedes-AMG Petronas driver Lewis Hamilton scored the second and third starting positions on the Grand Prix Grid, respectively. Verstappen leads in this season’s Driver Championship competition with 313 points, and Norris is his closest competitor with 254 points. Six-time F1 World Champion Lewis Hamilton is in sixth place this season with 166 points.

Recommended Videos

Why a lizard was red-flagged

A monitor lizard disrupted a F! practice session. — Monitor lizard SS-Lw / Pixabay

Animal sightings on F1 tracks are not unusual. Earlier this season, a groundhog ran across the track during the Montreal Grand Prix in June. The Monitor lizard that disrupted Saturday’s Free Practice 3 is native to Singapore — a Monitor lizard was also on the track during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.

According to the F1TV broadcasters, track officials classified the red flag stoppage as due to “slippery conditions.” Track marshalls attempted to catch the lizard with a plastic bag, but eventually, the lizard escaped by running off the track.

2024 F1 Driver Champion points

Lando Norris wins pole position in Qualifying for 2024 F1 Singapore GP. — McLaren driver Lando Norris will be in the pole position for the 2024 F1 Singapore GP. Formula One / Formula One

Going into the Singapore Grand Prix, the following are the points standings for the F1 World Driver Championships:

Max Verstappen	Red Bull	313
Lando Norris	McLaren	254
Charles Leclerc	Ferrari	235
Oscar Piastri	McLaren	222
Carlos Sainz	Ferrari	184
Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	166
Sergio Perez	Red Bull	143
George Russell	Mercedes	143
Fernando Alonso	Aston Martin	58
Lance Stroll	Aston Martin	24
Nico Hulkenberg	Haas	22
Tsunoda	RB	22
Daniel Ricciardo	RB	12
Alex Albon	Williams	12
Oliver Bearman	Ferrari	7
Kevin Magnussen	Hass	6
Esteban Ocon	Alpine	5
Franco Colapinto	Williams	4
Guanyu Zhou	Sauber	0
Logan Sargeant	Williams	0
Valtteri Bottas	Sauber	0

Topics

A Digital Trends Contributing Editor and Contributor for TheManual.com, Bruce Brown writes e-mobility reviews and covers…

Auto

Bernie Ecclestone’s Grand Prix Collection of F1 cars goes on sale

The collection includes Grand Prix-winning Ferrari, Brabham, Maserati, and Vanwall F1 cars

bernie ecclestones grand prix collection of f1 cars on sale the ecclestone

Tom Hartley Jnr Ltd, a British car dealer specializing in the finest luxury vehicles, supercars, and former race cars, recently announced that Bernie Ecclestone, the godfather of F1, has entrusted the company with the 'Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection.'

Why the Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection is so important
Unveiling a Legacy: The Bernie Ecclestone Grand Prix Collection | The Greatest Formula 1 Collection

Auto

We experienced the F1 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix — Bellagio style

The Bellagio's luxury extends to the Formula 1 racetrack

The fountains in the lake at Bellagio seen from the Fountain Club exclusive race viewing structure.

I was fortunate to be one of a small group of journalists invited to experience firsthand how Las Vegas transforms for Formula 1 races. I watched the F1 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix from the best track view locations and attended exclusive events hosted by the top hospitality venues. The ultimate indulgence was at the Bellagio Hotel, where our hosts spoiled us at four exceptional locations.
Prime Steakhouse restaurant

We began our VIP Bellagio excursion at the Prime Steakhouse, a newly decorated fine dining location at the lake level of the hotel with a view of the Fountains of Bellagio. We were treated to samples of seafood and steak created by celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten.

Auto

F1 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024 preview: The last race decides the Championship

Red Bull is out of the running for the top spot, but McLaren and Ferrari both have a chance.

Yas Marina Circuit for the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix 2024.

The 2024 F1 racing season ends with the Formula 1 Etihad Airways Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 6 to 8. Red Bull's Max Verstappen locked in the Drivers' Championship during the Las Vegas Grand Prix, but the Constructors' Championship remains undecided as Ferrari still has a chance to outscore McLaren to win the biggest team prize of the season.
The challenges of the Yas Marina Circuit
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix is run on the Yas Marina Circuit. It consists of 58 laps of the 3.28-mile track, or 190.14 miles. Max Verstappen set the lap record in 2021 at 1:26.103 (minutes: seconds). Verstappen won the race in 2023 when Ferrari's Charles Leclerc came in second, and Mercedes driver George Russell was third.

The track has sixteen turns, with two DRS zones allowing overtaking. The current weather forecast is for highs in the 80s. The track temperatures will be higher, which could make staying cool a challenge during the race.
The Constructors' Championship is at stake
McLaren currently has 640 Constructors' Championship points. There is a potential for any team to win a total of 44 points (during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, so Ferrari's current 619-point total puts the team in reach of the prize. Red Bull cannot win the Championship, although they could place second if Verstappen and Sergio Perez finish in the top three and Ferrari doesn't gain more than four points - neither of which outcome is likely. The McLaren and Ferrari race cars have been exceptionally fast recently, and both drivers have delivered, so it's possible that either team could win.
Abu Dhabi Grand Prix schedule
The best way to watch F1 race events live is with F1TV Pro, a subscription streaming service from Formula 1. The paid service includes an option to choose a cockpit view from any of the 20 race cars live, pre- and post-race shows, archives of past races and seasons, and much more. ESPN subscribers can also watch the races live with the additional content. F1TV also has a free, ad-supported version that posts race replays five days after the race.