SINGAPORE, Sept 20 (Askume) – Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc set the fastest time in first practice for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on Friday, with McLaren’s Lando Norris second.
Ahead of the more meaningful night practice, Leclerc clocked a best one minute 31.763 seconds in the day’s collision-free session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, 0.076 seconds faster than Norris.
Leclerc and Norris, who are second in the championship but 59 points behind Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen, are the only drivers to start from pole position in the last five races and found qualifying difficult to overcome ahead of Singapore.
Three-time world champion Verstappen was fourth, 0.334 seconds slower and suffering from understeer.
Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz, winner of Red Bull’s only defeat of the previous season in Singapore, finished third and was unhappy with his car’s braking balance.
“We need to fix the brakes,” the Spaniard said over the team radio. “We can’t change the brake balance too much.”
RB’s Yuki Tsunoda finished fifth, while McLaren’s Oscar Piastri (winner in Azerbaijan last weekend) finished sixth after hitting the wall.
The Australian’s race was briefly delayed when his left rear wheel became stuck during a practice pit stop.
Compatriot Daniel Ricciardo, whose future with Red Bull-owned RB remains uncertain after the weekend, finished seventh ahead of Williams’ Alex Albon, Stoney Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon.
