Alonso surprises in first Singapore GP practice

Fernando Alonso topped the opening practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.

Title leader Oscar Piastri was the best-placed McLaren driver, the Australian lapping fifth and 0.364s off the pace.

The unrepresentative daytime session for the night-time grand prix started with an ambient temperature of 84 degrees F and with humidity hovering at a stuffy 72 percent. The well-used Marina Bay streets also started dirty, with track evolution predictably high through the opening 60-minute session.

Alonso mastered the late-afternoon conditions to top the session with a best time of 1m31.116s, the Spaniard ending the hour with the quickest opening sector. It is the first time Alonso has led a session this season.

Leclerc lapped 0.15s off the pace, while Verstappen, arriving in Singapore on a two-victory streak, was a further 0.126s back.

Lewis Hamilton needed three laps on soft tires to move up to fourth, having abandoned his first due to traffic and having found himself more than 0.7s off the pace with his second. His best time put him 0.364s adrift of Alonso.

Piastri also needed multiple attempts to set his best time, the Australian having complained of a “very understeery” car after his first attempt. A second lap after some tweaks moved him up to fifth and 0.365s off the pace despite tapping the wall exiting Turn 17.

His teammate, Lando Norris, followed in sixth, the Briton 0.217s slower than the sister car.

Isack Hadjar was seventh for Racing Bulls ahead of an impressive Carlos Sainz, who led the session early and whose best lap – 0.696s off Alonso’s pace – was set on the medium tire, the Williams driver having not used the softs.

Yuki Tsunoda was ninth for Red Bull Racing – 0.468s behind teammate Verstappen – ahead of Esteban Ocon to complete the top 10.

George Russell was 11th for Mercedes and 1.023s off the pace, but the Mercedes driver didn’t sample the soft tire all session, having set his best time on mediums.

Nico Hulkenberg was 12th ahead of Pierre Gasly and Andrea Kimi Antonelli, the Italian also eschewing the softs in favor of mediums for his fastest lap.

Liam Lawson was 15th ahead of Oliver Bearman, Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll – who was 1.918s slower than his session-topping Aston Martin teammate – and Franco Colapinto.

Alex Albon’s session lasted just two laps before the rear brakes on his Williams set fire to themselves, eliminating him from the session. The team said it was confident the car would be ready to use for the crucial second practice session, the only hour of free running in conditions representative of qualifying and the race.

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