Max Verstappen showcased his prowess during the final practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, emerging as the fastest driver. The Red Bull Racing star clocked a time of 1m 30.148s, narrowly outpacing McLaren’s Oscar Piastri by just 0.017 seconds. Mercedes’ George Russell rounded out the top three with a solid performance.
Practice Session Overview
The third and final practice session took place in Singapore at 1730 local time. This session served as a crucial platform for teams to finalize their setups before Qualifying. Following a disrupted FP2 on Friday night, which suffered from two red flags, the teams returned to the track with high expectations.
Key Highlights from the Session
- Verstappen led the session, setting a lap time of 1m 30.148s.
- Piastri secured second place with a time just 0.017 seconds slower.
- Russell finished third, expressing concerns about track confidence after his previous incidents.
The session began relatively quietly with the Haas team setting the pace early on. However, a red flag was issued after Liam Lawson crashed at Turn 8, prompting the recovery of the vehicle and subsequent clear-up of debris on the track.
Lap Times and Drivers’ Performance
As the practice session progressed, several drivers switched to soft tyres for their qualifying simulations. By the halfway mark, Lando Norris was on top with a time of 1m 31.021s, ahead of Alex Albon in second place. However, Verstappen and Piastri later overtook Norris in the final minutes with impressive laps.
- Top Five Positions:
- 1. Max Verstappen – 1m 30.148s
- 2. Oscar Piastri – 1m 30.165s
- 3. George Russell – Time not specified
- 4. Kimi Antonelli – 1m 30.760s
- 5. Lando Norris – Time not specified
Notably, Lewis Hamilton faced scrutiny due to a red flag infringement during the session. He finished eighth on the timesheets, which may affect his performance in the upcoming Qualifying.
Looking Ahead to Qualifying
As the teams prepare for Qualifying at 2100 local time, all eyes will be on Verstappen to see if he can maintain his momentum. With fierce competition from Piastri and Russell, the stage is set for an exciting qualifying round ahead.
