Jenson Button names 'big deal' Lewis Hamilton moment despite Singapore woe

Jenson Button believes Lewis Hamilton out-qualifying Charles Leclerc is a "big deal" ahead of the Singapore GP.

Hamilton banked sixth on the Marina Bay grid, with Leclerc in seventh with the Briton believing a higher position was possible if tyre temperatures had not dropped due to the slow nature of cars leaving the pit-lane.

It is just the fifth time all season Hamilton has out-qualified Leclerc in a grand prix, following the Chinese, Spanish, Canadian, and British GPs in a season in which he has largely struggled to match the Monegasque.

However, 2009 world champion Button, who served as Hamilton's team-mate at McLaren between 2010-2012, believes the 104-time pole winner must celebrate the "small victories."

"One-and-a-half tenths off a McLaren [of Lando Norris] normally they'd say: 'That was pretty good for us in qualifying,'" Button explained on Sky Sports F1. 

"But it's because you've got all the other cars that have sort of got into the mix around here, but for Lewis, you've got to take the small victories at the moment.

"It's been a tricky year for him so far, so for him to out-qualify Charles, I think that's a big deal. That really is, and I think that's important for him moving forward."

Fellow pundit Jamie Chadwick also offered her surprise at Hamilton out-performing Leclerc at two tracks, Azerbaijan and Singapore, which were widely expected to suit Leclerc, who is complaining about understeer and balance issues.

"It's weird. It's just everything you expect or predict with Ferrari, kind of tends to be the opposite," she said.

"Particularly here and in Baku, we predicted Charles to be, you know, it's his special track, the ones he tends to do well at. 

"And then you come here, those are the two tracks that Lewis seems to actually be a little bit stronger at, and I'm honestly very surprised. 

"Leclerc's comments about unpredictability, we've known with Ferrari a little bit, but it doesn't seem like they're ever fully getting it together in the last few races."