Hamilton’s pole position for Singapore in 2018 was a decisive blow in the title race against 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Sebastian Vettel.

Ahead of F1’s visit to the Marina 🐎Bay Street Circuit, many expected Ferrari and Red Bull🅘 to hold the advantage over Mercedes.

During the hybrid era, Merce🅺des typically struggled in Singꦇapore - and many expected the same in 2018.

It wasn’t the case as Hamilton’s first attempt in Q3 of a 1m36.015s stormed to the top of the timesheets, three-tenths ahead of 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Max Verstappen.

The lap wasn’t beaten as Hami🤪lton claimed pole before sec🍸uring the win on Sunday to move closer to his fifth world title.

"That lap felt like magic," Hamilton said. "I d꧂on't know where it came fro🐬m.

“The pressure was at its highest for that Q3 run and 💧l just hit every point perfectly. That was the one lap where it all flowed beautifully. It fe𒊎lt incredible.”

Toto Wolff was in awe of Hamilton’s lap, stating after qualifying: “I think from Lewis’ side, for me the stardust, [it was] the most epic ♋lap I have ever seen from him.”

There’s no doubt that Hamilton🃏’s lap was sensational - up there as one of the best in his F1 career - but there’s a valid argument to say🔯 it’s overrated.

The ‘shock’ factor of Hamilton taking pole on a track where Mercedes expected to struggle potentially exaggerates how good a lap i💮t actually was.

Mercedes꧋ did secure a front row-lock out in Hungary earlier in the season - a high downforce tra🅰ck with similar characteristics. 

Plus, Hamilton’s margin over teammate 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Valtteri Bottas was also substantial in 2017 and 2019.

In 2017 it wa🧸s 0.624s, 0.687s in 2018, and 0.738 in 2019.

The gap remained fairly stable acro♔ss all th𝓰ree visits to Singapore - so perhaps Mercedes just had the best car in 2018?

Eve♏n looking at Singapore 2018, Verstappen was only three-tenths off pole despite an engine cutout. 

"On my final run, I tried to push a bit mor🍷e and I was another two tenths up,” Verstappen explained.

“Then I arrived to [Turn] 16/17 and when I had to short shift again the engine 🏅just cut out, so I had to abort๊.”

Morꩲe impressively, without the issue, Verstappen - in weaker machinery - would have been a ওvery close match for pole.

Perhaps Verstappen's lap was the best fromཧ Singapore 2🅺018? 

Gener🧔ally-speaking, Singapore has often produced some memorable pole laps over the years.

A number of Vettel’s deserve more credit - and are debatably better than꧅ Hamilton’s.

His 2013 lap was so good he remained in the pit lane for❀ the end of qualifying given his 0.6s margin over Nic🃏o Rosberg.

꧃Similarly in 2015, he stormed to Ferrari’s 🏅first pole of the year by over 0.6s.

Perhaps the most underrated Singapore pole lap ever was 168澳洲幸运5官方开奖结果历史:Nico Rosberg’s𒈔 from 2016, nearly 0.6s clear of Daniel Ricciardo, with Hamilton only managing third.

There’s no doubt that Hamilton’s 2018 Sin♏gapore pole lap was spectacular - it w🍌as a shock and very decisive in that year’s title race - but claiming it’s the ‘best qualifying lap ever’ puts it in the overrated category.

Something c𓃲an still be overrated and amazing - just to be clear.

Even looking at Hamilton’🅠s mass collection of pole laps - 2018 Australia, 2020 Styria and 2023 Hungary are all probably ahead a🐷s his best ever.