A stop-start free practice saw Max Verstappen pip Oscar Piastri to P1 at the end of FP3. Most of the teams focused on long runs in the final part of practice, but a late flurry of laps on the soft tyre allowed Verstappen to set a time of 1m 30.148s, with Piastri less than two hundredths of a second behind.
Verstappen comes to Singapore with an outside chance of winning the world championship. He currently trails Piastri by 69 points with seven races and three sprints remaining and realistically needs to win most of, if not all, the remaining races to overturn that deficit. Singapore is the only circuit on the current calendar where Verstappen has yet to win, and realistically, Verstappen’s performance this weekend will determine whether his title hopes are vestigial or non-existent.
Lando Norris had a couple of wayward moments at turn 17 during FP1 and 2, but recovered to fifth by the end of FP3. Norris is another driver who comes to Marina Bay in need of a good result as he trails his teammate by 25 points.
Mercedes had an uneven free practice as George Russell crashed out at turn 16 in FP2, but despite the lost run time, was able to secure P3 in the final session. His teammate Kimi Antonelli suffered a slide at turn one in FP1 and went deep at turn 14 in FP2 before ending FP3 in fourth, less than half a tenth off his teammate. A solid showing given Antonelli’s lack of experience in Singapore.
The data suggests that McLaren have the edge in qualifying simulations and long-run pace, while Red Bull, RB, and Williams look strong in the slow-speed corners. Sainz capitalised on this with the fifth fastest time in FP3, as did Isack Hadjar in sixth. Their teammates, by contrast, had little to smile about. A fire forced Alex Albon out of FP1, while Liam Lawson brought out the red flag on two separate occasions. First, by clipping the wall and losing a wheel in FP1, before crashing out of FP3.
Ferrari look to be some way off the likes of Red Bull and McLaren. Lewis Hamilton had a hair-raising brush with the wall at turn 14 in FP2 en route to eighth in FP3. Charles Leclerc had an unusual coming together with Lando Norris in the pitlane as both drivers left their respective garages simultaneously before ending the final session in tenth.
Sauber look to be on form as Nico Hulkenberg and Gabriel Bortoleto ended FP3 in ninth and 12th respectively, while the two Haas’s of Esteban Ocon and Ollie Bearmen had a relatively uneventful run to 13th and 14th.
Fernando Alonso looked to be on course for a major upset as he topped the timesheets in FP1. However, this pace did not persist as Alonso ended FP3 15th, two places and four tenths ahead of his teammate, Lance Stroll. That said, Alonso still hailed this Friday as among his best of that year.
Yuki Tsunoda in 18th was unable to capitalise on Red Bull’s reworked front wing, while Alpine look set to bring up the rear. Pierre Gasly ran wide at turn 14 in FP1 and could only manage 19th, while Franco Colapinto nearly hit Verstappen in the closing seconds of FP3 as he made way for his teammate. Sixteenth was all the Argentinian could manage.
With Verstappen, Mercedes, and McLaren all in the mix, we look set for a thrilling qualifying ahead of the Singapore Grand Prix. A race that could prove pivotal in determining the destiny of this world championship.
