Leclerc Leads as Ferrari Flexes Muscle in Singapore's FP1
Charles Leclerc // Ferrari Media
Marina Bay, Singapore - In what appeared to be a continuation of their Monza momentum, Ferrari locked out the top two positions in the inaugural practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix. Charles Leclerc headed the leaderboard, a mere 0.078s ahead of teammate Carlos Sainz, while championship contender Max Verstappen settled for third.
Intense Heat and Unexpected Guests
As the European segment of the Formula 1 calendar concludes, teams and drivers descend upon the Marina Bay circuit, contending with the formidable 32°C air temperatures synonymous with the tropical Singapore climate. This street circuit's notorious twist and turns present a unique challenge, with an unexpected interruption from a track-roaming lizard adding a touch of amusement.
The session kicked off with a mix of tyre strategies. The majority favored the hard compound, but a handful, including Lando Norris in his freshly liveried McLaren, chose the mediums. Norris, showcasing a new 'stealth' mode design and a suite of upgrades, initially set the pace 30 minutes into the practice.
However, the switch to soft tyres for many was briefly interrupted by an unlikely track intruder: a lizard. This unexpected guest in the second sector prompted a few chuckles, especially from Verstappen.
Resuming action, it was Leclerc who set the benchmark time of 1:33.350, narrowly edging out his teammate. Ferrari's form seemed promising as they began their preparations for the upcoming qualifiers and the race.
Ferrari teammates Charles Leclerc and Carlos Sainz top after FP1 in Singapore // Ferrari Media
Verstappen looking for first Singapore win
Despite his past challenges at Singapore, Verstappen's performance displayed his intent to claim his maiden victory here. Meanwhile, Norris's modifications seemed to pay off as he clocked the fourth-fastest time, ahead of Mercedes duo Lewis Hamilton and George Russell.
Defending Singapore champion Sergio Perez had to settle for seventh, whereas two-time winner Fernando Alonso achieved the eighth spot for Aston Martin. Rounding up the top ten were Yuki Tsunoda in his AlphaTauri and Esteban Ocon for Alpine.
Outside the top ten, several notable performances included Alex Albon in his fan-designed Williams livery and Liam Lawson stepping in for Daniel Ricciardo, who was observed closely monitoring from the AlphaTauri pit wall. Rookie Logan Sargeant, unfortunately, trailed the pack.
With the data from FP1 now available, teams will dive deep into their analysis and strategies, prepping for the upcoming night-time practice session slated for 15:00 CET.
FP1 at the Singapore Grand Prix ended as follows:
1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) - 1:33.350
2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) - 1:33.428 (+0.078s)
3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull Racing) - 1:33.476 (+0.126s)
4. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:33.522 (+0.172s)
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) - 1:33.540 (+0.190s)
6. George Russell (Mercedes) - 1:33.695 (+0.345s)
7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull Racing) - 1:33.725 (+0.375s)
8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) - 1:33.974 (+0.624s)
9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) - 1:34.042 (+0.692s)
10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine) - 1:34.066 (+0.716s)
11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin) - 1:34.568 (+1.218s)
12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine) - 1:34.639 (+1.289s)
13. Alexander Albon (Williams) - 1:34.657 (+1.307s)
14. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) - 1:34.802 (+1.452s)
15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas) - 1:34.887 (+1.537s)
16. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri) - 1:34.894 (+1.544s)
17. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas) - 1:34.985 (+1.635s)
18. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo) - 1:35.456 (+2.106s)
19. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) - 1:35.474 (+2.124s)
20. Logan Sargeant (Williams) - 1:35.778 (+2.428s)