During the opening practice sessions at the Singapore Grand Prix, several key developments unfolded on the track. While Red Bull has historically faced challenges in Singapore, the team expressed optimism after Friday’s performance.
Norris and Leclerc Collide at Singapore; Piastri Leads Friday Practice
Max Verstappen, driver for Red Bull and winner of the prior two races in Monza and Baku, noted that the car felt competitive. He stated, “The car was not too bad, a bit like the last two weekends. There were no major problems.” Verstappen did express a need for additional pace to contend for the top positions in the race.
Teams’ Performance Overview
Fernando Alonso demonstrated impressive speed in his Aston Martin, a car that suits the challenging circuit of Singapore. Despite his strong performance, he acknowledged that there are still areas for improvement. He remarked, “It’s still not in a happy place, especially on the front axle. Still a little bit too much understeer.” Alonso aims to fine-tune the setup for a better qualifying position on Saturday.
- Alonso’s teammate, Lance Stroll, finished the day in sixth place, 0.345 seconds behind Alonso.
- Esteban Ocon from Haas, Carlos Sainz from Williams, and Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton from Ferrari followed closely behind.
Leclerc and Hamilton’s Insights
Leclerc, who had a challenging second session, pointed to a pit-lane incident that created confusion. He conveyed confidence in the car’s pace despite the setback, stating, “The good thing is the pace is in the car.” Meanwhile, Lewis Hamilton expressed satisfaction with his performance, saying, “It’s generally been a good day. I have enjoyed driving the car.” He acknowledged the competitiveness of McLaren but is focused on extracting more performance before the race.
The disrupted practice sessions meant that drivers could not complete their intended race simulations. As the teams prepare for qualifying, attention shifts to optimizing their setups and strategies for the weekend ahead.
With a mixture of confidence and challenges, teams head into the decisive qualifying sessions, eager to secure their spots for the race on Sunday.
