Fernando Alonso set the fastest lap in opening F1 Singapore GP practice as several drivers struggled to find grip around the bumpy, narrow, and twist-laden Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Alonso’s experience and skill showcased a masterful control of his Aston Martin around the dusty and low-grip street layout, enabling him to top the timesheets by 0.150 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who also impressed with a strong showing on the tricky track surface.
The session began with drivers contending with a slippery circuit surface, as the dust and debris accumulated on the street made for some cautious initial laps and several lock-ups at the demanding corners of Marina Bay.
Williams’ Alex Albon faced a huge technical problem early in the session when his rear brakes caught fire, restricting him to just two laps and leaving him at the bottom of the timesheet.
Despite this setback, the breadth of activity across the grid was considerable as every other competitor sought to familiarize themselves with the circuit’s demanding characteristics.
Fernando Alonso initially set the pace within the first 15 minutes using medium compound tyres, posting a promising 1:32.592.
His time was briefly eclipsed by McLaren’s Lando Norris on hard tires with a 1:32.493, highlighting the variation in tyre usage strategies in FP1 as F1 teams explored different setups and compounds on the unique street circuit.
However, Alonso was undeterred and soon reclaimed the lead with a 1:32.054 before the times began to tumble further with the introduction of softer compound tyres.
Charles Leclerc was consistently close to the top throughout the session, displaying excellent car control, despite a minor lock-up at Turn 13 but went on to deliver a best lap of 1:31.266 on the soft compound putting him firmly in contention.
Meanwhile, reigning F1 world champion Max Verstappen was third quickest with a time 0.276 seconds off Alonso’s best, showing that Red Bull remains a serious force around Singapore’s tight and twisty layout.
Full 2025 Singapore Grand Prix FP1 Results
Full 2025 Singapore Grand Prix FP2 Results
Further down the field, Lewis Hamilton impressed by securing fourth place for Ferrari, just 0.364 seconds behind Alonso.
Championship leader Oscar Piastri and his McLaren teammate Lando Norris finished fifth and sixth respectively.
Piastri’s session was full of challenges including complaints of understeer and even clipping the wall on one lap, yet he managed to secure a respectable 1:31.481, slightly ahead of Norris’s 1:31.698.
Racing Bulls’ rookie Isack Hadjar demonstrated his growing confidence and speed, finishing a respectable seventh, narrowly beating Williams’ Carlos Sainz who transitioned to Medium tyres for the second half of the session and managed to edge Red Bull’s Yuki Tsunoda, rounding out the top ten.
Midfield battles were fierce as Esteban Ocon impressed with Haas by finishing 11th just ahead of George Russell as Mercedes struggled with pace during the opening F1 Singapore GP practice.
Nico Hülkenberg of Sauber managed 12th, with Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Mercedes’ young talent Kimi Antonelli following in 13th and 14th, respectively, after some off-track excursions and close calls with the circuit walls.
Liam Lawson in the second Racing Bulls hit 15th, followed by Haas’s Oliver Bearman in 16th. Sauber’s Gabriel Bortoleto placed 17th with Alonso’s Aston Martin teammate Lance Stroll finishing a lowly 18th.
Franco Colapinto rounded out the field in 19th for Alpine, unable to make a significant impact in FP1, while Alex Albon, as mentioned, was the only driver who logged no competitive times due to the early brake fire incident.
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