Charles Leclerc led Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz in the opening practice for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix.
The Ferrari driver clocked a remarkable lap time of 1:31.763 setting the tone for what promises to be an exciting race weekend on the demanding Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Leclerc’s time was a mere 0.076 seconds quicker than McLaren’s Lando Norris who finished in second place with a time of 1:31.839 as Carlos Sainz rounded out the top three with a lap time of 1:31.952, showing Ferrari’s strong form as they aim to capitalize on their recent successes.
The opening practice for the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix began under daylight conditions, which typically present unique challenges due to the dusty track surface that accumulates during the day.
F1 drivers had to navigate these conditions carefully as the surface was less representative of what they would face in qualifying and the race later in the weekend.
The first laps felt reminiscent of rallying as drivers worked to clean up the track while simultaneously pushing for competitive times. However, it wasn’t until the latter half of the session that drivers began to post more representative lap times.
Charles Leclerc’s impressive performance was characterized by his ability to adapt quickly to the track conditions. After initially exploring the circuit on medium tires, the Monesgaque switched to soft tires and immediately found the pace, setting a benchmark that would remain unbeaten throughout FP1.
His time highlighted Ferrari’s potential as they marked a huge improvement over previous years, with their lap times being over 1.5 seconds quicker than those recorded during the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix.
Meanwhile, Lando Norris also displayed strong pace during the session after topping the timesheets for the better part of the session before Leclerc’s final push saw him relegated to second place. The Brit’s performance indicated McLaren’s continued run of good form as they seek to challenge for podium finishes consistently.
Carlos Sainz’s performance was equally noteworthy, as he maintained a solid pace throughout the session to finish third fastest despite expressing concerns over his car’s brake balance via team radio.
Reigning world champion Max Verstappen finished fourth with a time of 1:32.097 as Red Bull hopes to reclaim its edge following recent performance struggles which culminated to losing the championship lead to McLaren during last weekend’s race in Baku.
Red Bull struggled for pace at Singapore last year, as Verstappen complained about the understeery behaviour of his RB20 but the Dutchman looked fairly quick in the opening practice
VCARB delivered an impressive session with Yuki Tsunoda finishing fifth with a time of 1:32.263. However, the Japanese driver expressed some frustration over team communication issues during practice starts but still managed to deliver commendable performance levels that could bode well for his race weekend.
Meanwhile his teammate Daniel Ricciardo also made headlines by delivering the seventh fastest laptime amid ongoing speculation over his F1 future. His performance at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix will be crucial as he attempts to solidify his position with the team as they strategize for upcoming races.
The RB duo was split by Oscar Piastri in sixth after the Aussie faced an unusual delay at the start of his session due to an issue with his McLaren’s left rear corner discovered during pitstop practice earlier in the day.
Williams’ Alex Albon finished eighth, while Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Alpine’s Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten. Franco Colapinto took P11 in his third F1 race weekend after taking his first points a few days ago in Baku.
However, Mercedes struggled significantly during the session as Lewis Hamilton finished twelfth after battling understeer issues throughout his laps.
George Russell fared even worse, ending up in sixteenth position as both drivers struggled to find their rhythm on what is known as one of the most demanding circuits on the calendar.
