Charles LeClerc wasted no time putting himself at the top of the timesheets Friday afternoon as the fastest man on track as the Ferrari driver looked to cement himself as the driver to beat come Sunday for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix. Narrowly outpacing McLaren’s Lando Norris and teammate Carlos Sainz, it looks to be another slugfest between the two surging teams as Red Bull continue to falter on the streets of the Marina Bay Circuit with Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez only managed the forth and fourteenth quickest times.
HIGHLIGHTS: Watch the Free Practice 1 action in Singapore as Leclerc heads Norris
Norris set the pace early in the session as teammate Piastri remained sidelined as his McLaren’s left-rear wheel became stuck as the team stated that “this isn’t an issue we’ve seen before” before Piastri made his way onto the circuit. As Piastri took off, fellow Aussie Daniel Ricciardo made his way back to the garages and found himself stuck as well, although this time due to mechanics struggling with removal of the aero-rack being used on his VCARB.
The slippery surface of the temporary circuit caught several drivers off guard as Sergio Perez and Fernando Alonso each had moments off course. Despite the few moments, no permanent flags were shown and drivers were able to maximize the hour session on track.
By the end of free practice, it was LeClerc who usurped Norris for the top spot followed by Sainz and Verstappen. Yuki Tsundo set and impressive lap for 5th spot on the sheets ahead of Oscar Piastri and Daniel Ricciardo as Alex Albon, Fernando Alonso, and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top 10.
Free practice 2 continues this evening under the Singapore lights, catch everything live at 21:00 local time.
FORMULA 1 SINGAPORE AIRLINES SINGAPORE GRAND PRIX Schedule
| Date | Session | Time (Local Circuit) |
| Sept. 20th | Practice 1 | 17:30 – 18:30 |
| Practice 2 | 21:00 – 22:00 | |
| Sept. 21st | Practice 3 | 17:30 – 18:30 |
| Qualifying | 21:00 – 22:00 | |
| Sept. 22nd | Race | 20:00 |
Free Practice 1 Results:
Pos | No | Driver | Car | Time | Gap | Laps |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 16 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1:31.763 | 26 | |
2 | 4 | Lando Norris | McLaren Mercedes | 1:31.839 | +0.076s | 25 |
3 | 55 | Carlos Sainz | Ferrari | 1:31.952 | +0.189s | 27 |
4 | 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:32.097 | +0.334s | 22 |
5 | 22 | Yuki Tsunoda | RB Honda RBPT | 1:32.263 | +0.500s | 26 |
6 | 81 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren Mercedes | 1:32.369 | +0.606s | 25 |
7 | 3 | Daniel Ricciardo | RB Honda RBPT | 1:32.375 | +0.612s | 21 |
8 | 23 | Alexander Albon | Williams Mercedes | 1:32.451 | +0.688s | 25 |
9 | 14 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:32.610 | +0.847s | 26 |
10 | 31 | Esteban Ocon | Alpine Renault | 1:32.615 | +0.852s | 27 |
11 | 43 | Franco Colapinto | Williams Mercedes | 1:32.618 | +0.855s | 25 |
12 | 44 | Lewis Hamilton | Mercedes | 1:32.679 | +0.916s | 24 |
13 | 10 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine Renault | 1:32.694 | +0.931s | 27 |
14 | 11 | Sergio Perez | Red Bull Racing Honda RBPT | 1:32.767 | +1.004s | 22 |
15 | 18 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin Aramco Mercedes | 1:32.778 | +1.015s | 21 |
16 | 63 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1:33.334 | +1.571s | 25 |
17 | 20 | Kevin Magnussen | Haas Ferrari | 1:33.377 | +1.614s | 21 |
18 | 77 | Valtteri Bottas | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:33.485 | +1.722s | 25 |
19 | 24 | Zhou Guanyu | Kick Sauber Ferrari | 1:33.585 | +1.822s | 24 |
20 | 27 | Nico Hulkenberg | Haas Ferrari | 1:33.797 | +2.034s | 24 |
