In Singapore, the Marina Bay Street Circuit stands out for its narrow, winding layout with 19 corners across 4.9 kilometers, demanding high downforce. It is a different beast from Monza, yet this season Ferrari showed real competitiveness on two contrasting tracks. Charles Leclerc clocked the first free practice session in the morning, while Carlos Sainz posted the fastest lap in night conditions with a 1.32.120. The conditions were uniform for both the upcoming qualifying and Sunday’s race, and the teammate was separated by a mere 0.018 seconds.
Those who have pointed to Max Verstappen and Red Bull as the team to beat have largely been right so far. The World Championship leader has never won in Singapore and has never claimed pole here. Verstappen admits a tendency to choke a little in this venue. On the eighth place, more than seven out of ten reported feeling pressure. Checo Pérez also looked uncomfortable on the first day of practice. He radioed, Guys, this isn’t working. Every time I brake it feels like I’m going to crash. The Mexican driver finished with concerns but kept pushing, finishing in the midfield.
[World Championship standings can be viewed here for reference.]
McLaren brought the most notable updates to the session, while Mercedes appeared to have found a track where their car performs well. George Russell narrowly avoided a collision, and the Briton ended up third behind the two Ferraris, just two tenths behind Sainz and ahead of Fernando Alonso’s Aston Martin. He improved in the afternoon session, finishing fourth, three tenths behind Sainz after selecting soft tires for the first time. Lewis Hamilton concluded a solid top-five run, signaling strong pace from the Silver Arrows.
Carlos Sainz narrowly avoided colliding with a very slow Verstappen as shown in on-boards and social clips from the session. A post from DAZN Spain captured the moment, highlighting the tense dynamics on track during a busy day of practice.
Historically Ferraris have fought for pole and victory on this street circuit. In the previous year, Leclerc and Sainz joined the podium alongside Sergio Pérez. It remains striking to see the SF-23 performing at high levels with the various compounds used today, as the two Scuderia drivers push for pole on Saturday afternoon.
[Season calendar context can be checked here to align with the current schedule.]
The Singapore Grand Prix is known for walls that threaten many moments and for the potential for incidents to be part of the weekend agenda. The day closed with progress rather than major drama, possibly aided by optimal track conditions and a revised layout that eliminated four low-speed bends in the third sector. However, it is only day one. Both Sainz and Alonso expressed confidence in the car and the team, signaling a weekend packed with emotion and competitive tension.
Singapore GP. Free 2:
1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari) 1’32″120
2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari), at 0″018
3. George Russell (Mercedes), at 0″235
4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) at 0″358
5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) at 0″465
6. Lando Norris (McLaren) at 0″591
7. Sergio Pérez (Red Bull) at 0″692
8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) at 0″732
9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas), at 0″897
10. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo) at 0″985
11. Nico Hülkenberg (Haas), in 1″019
12. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri), 1″165
13. Esteban Ocon (Alpine), at 1″241
14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin), 1″270
15. Oscar Piastri (McLaren) at 1″341
16. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri) at 1″357
17. Gyanyu Zhou (Alfa Romeo), at 1″455
18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine), at 1″704
19. Logan Sargeant (Williams), 2″207
20. Alexander Albon (Williams), at 3″438.