Sportsupdated 1h ago2 min read
George Russell Tops Singapore Grand Prix Practice Ahead of Leclerc and Norris; Colapinto Finishes 19th
George Russell fastest in FP1 at Singapore, 1:32.274. Charles Leclerc second; Lando Norris third, 0.198s and 0.273s behind Russell.
Russell leads in FP1
George Russell topped the only practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix, setting a best time of 1:32.274 on the Marina Bay street circuit. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198 seconds behind Russell, and Lando Norris placed third, 0.273 seconds off the pace.
Franco Colapinto finished 19th in the lone free practice, recording 1:34.983 after completing 27 laps, and the result left the Alpine driver far from the front of the field. Pierre Gasly finished ninth with a time of 1:34.038, and the session’s Sprint format limited teams’ preparation opportunities with only one free practice before Sprint qualifying.
Tyres, penalties, and haze
The BBC said the practice was the only session of the weekend with sprint qualifying taking place at 13:30 BST, and it described the tyre split as making it hard to form conclusions about relative pace. The BBC reported that Russell will start Sunday's race from the back as a result of a penalty for using too many engine parts, following his engine failure while running third in the closing stages of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
The BBC also tied the race week to air-quality warnings in Singapore, saying the haze came from wildfires in Indonesia caused by illegal slash-and-burn practices. The 617 News note said heavy track traffic and GPS system difficulties complicated communications between drivers and their teams during the session.
Colapinto heads to Sprint
The 617 News note said the Sprint format limits teams' preparation opportunities, and it described Colapinto’s next steps as taking advantage of upcoming track outings to improve his times and find a competitive setup for the rest of the weekend. The C5N report said Colapinto reached 15th place during his first stint and finished 0s945 behind teammate Pierre Gasly, who ended 9th.
The C5N report also said the session was constrained 20 minutes from the end by a Virtual Safety Car caused by Nico Hülkenberg stopping at the pit exit. The BBC said the racing action is taking place amid air-quality warnings in Singapore as a result of haze from wildfires in Indonesia, and it advised citizens to limit outdoor activities.