Max Verstappen has admitted surprise over the performance of his Red Bull car during sprint qualifying after taking pole position for Saturday's race.
However, his result is under threat as he faces a stewards' investigation for allegedly overtaking under yellow flag conditions.
Verstappen entered the Singapore weekend on a high after taking his first race win of the year last time out in Sepang.
Continuing where he left off, Verstappen beat George Russell to the top of the timesheet by one-tenth of a second, marking the first time he has topped a sprint qualifying session this year.
“It's always close here in Singapore, and also your lap, you're pushing as hard as you think is possible, close to the walls in places,” he said.
“Once we bolted on the soft tyres, it felt like the car was coming alive a little bit more.
“But I did not expect this, so of course, I'm very happy to be first.”
Verstappen will visit the stewards after moving in front of Lewis Hamilton during SQ1 through a yellow flag zone, which was deployed due to debris on the track.
However, with an investigation looming, Verstappen commended the work undertaken by Red Bull at recent events to improve its car.
“The last few races we have been a lot stronger,” he said.
“But of course, this track still highlights a few little weaknesses in the car.
“But we managed to drive with them as well as possible.”
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