Ferrari have found themselves at the top of the rankings during Free Practices 1 and 2 at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix. Mercedes, Aston Martin and McLaren also look to be strong contenders this weekend in a bid to take on championship leaders Red Bull.
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Free Practice 1
Charles Leclerc had a promising start to the weekend in FP1 at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, picking up the fastest lap time under the lights of the Marina Bay Circuit. The Monegasque driver pipped his teammate to the top spot as Carlos Sainz clinched second 0.078 seconds behind. Championship leader Max Verstappen found himself down in third. Marina Bay seems to be providing more of a challenge to the Constructor frontrunners Red Bull, as teammate Sergio Perez ended the session in seventh.
It was another successful opening for McLaren’s Lando Norris. Putting the new car upgrades to use and alongside an impressive run on Medium tyres, the Brit set the fastest time in the first 30 minutes. He successfully kept himself in the top five by the end of the session, finishing fourth. His teammate Oscar Piastri will have to wait until next week to get upgrades on his car. At the end of FP1 he found himself in 19th ahead of fellow rookie Logan Sargeant.
Visitors Cause Yellow Flags
The unexpected stars of the first session today at Marina Bay, however, weren’t any of the drivers. Much to the amusement of the drivers, a lizard was seen strolling across the track in the second sector; the appearance of ‘Godzilla’ triggered a yellow flag and had the drivers amused.
Even with more disruption from more lizards, Ferrari were able to show their pace as Leclerc set a time of 1.33.350s, with his teammate just behind. The Mercedes drivers of Lewis Hamilton and held their own in the fast-paced street circuit to end the session in fifth and sixth.
Another disappointing start for Aston Martin saw two-time Singapore winner Fernando Alonso finish eighth as they continue to try to make their way back into contention for race wins. Teammate Stroll finished just outside the top ten in eleventh.
AlphaTauri’s team of Yuki Tsunoda and Liam Lawson finished in P9 and P16 respectively.
Free Practice 2
Free Practice 2 saw a Ferrari once again take the fastest lap time, but this time it was the turn of Carlos Sainz to clinch the top spot. The Spaniard narrowly outpaced Leclerc by 0.018 seconds, followed by Mercedes’ George Russell in third.
The conditions in FP2 were much more representative of Quali conditions and also Sunday’s race conditions at Marina Bay. As the sun set and the lights came on, Data gathering was on everyone’s minds. More drivers were opting for the medium tyres to gather as much information as possible.
It was a successful session for both of the Mercedes drivers. Four-time Singapore GP winner Lewis Hamilton kept it consistent, finishing in P5 for the second time today.
Fernando Alonso improved on his eighth in FP1 to move up to fourth with Lance Stroll taking P14.
Tensions Rise at the Top
McLaren’s new upgrades appear to be making an impact. Norris finished just outside the top five in P6, followed by the two Red Bulls of Sergio Perez and Max Verstappen in P7 and P8 respectively. The Austrian team were reporting some minor issues with the car, with pressure mounting as they edge their way closer to the Championship title. Perez voiced his concern about braking issues, while Verstappen was spotted slamming his fist against the steering wheel in frustration.
Over at the Williams garage, Alex Albon’s session was cut short with a Power Unit issue . The Thai driver reported a loss of power and engine problems and returned to the pits. With only five laps under his belt in FP2, he found himself at the bottom of the standings with teammate Logan Sargeant finishing P19.
Haas had a much better session. Kevin Magnussen and Nico Hulkenberg finished in P9 AND P11 respectively ahead of Liam Lawson in 12th, who takes on the Marina Bay circuit for the first time in his career.
Alpine will not be welcoming of their somewhat mediocre session as they try to take the fight to Mclaren. Esteban Ocon finished P13 and Pierre Gasly in 18th, while their rivals finished in sixth and fifteenth.
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