Oscar Piastri set the fastest time in a tumultuous second free practice session ahead of the Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, which saw two red flags caused by crashes from George Russell and Liam Lawson. The session, held on the demanding Singapore street circuit, featured disrupted running yet showcased Piastri’s pace on soft tyres.
Key Moments Shape a Turbulent FP2 at Singapore
During a session heavily interrupted by incidents, Piastri claimed the top spot with a best lap of 1m30.714s on the soft tyres, despite over 20 minutes lost to red flags. His time outpaced Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, setting a strong tone amidst the chaos. Early improvements from McLaren emerged with Lando Norris laying down a 1m32.226s on medium tyres, only to be surpassed by his team-mate Piastri’s 1m31.716s on his third flying lap.
Norris aimed to better his time but ultimately missed out by just 0.007 seconds behind Piastri, who led the session through much of the interrupted 60-minute period. The first red flag appeared after 15 minutes when Russell lost control at Turn 16, crashing and breaking his Mercedes’ front wing. This incident, combined with barrier repairs, halted the session temporarily.
Further Disruptions and Competitive Battles on Track
Once track clearance was completed, Lewis Hamilton momentarily took the lead before soft-tyre runs began in earnest. Esteban Ocon then set a 1m31.480s on the C5 soft tyres to move ahead. However, this was short-lived as Lawson crashed at the exit of Turn 17, damaging his right-front tyre and bringing out another red flag. His car came to a stop near the pit entry during a crucial phase of fast laps.
After the session resumed, chaos continued when Charles Leclerc exited the garage and collided with Norris, pushing the British driver into the pit wall and causing front wing damage. Despite this, Norris managed to return to the track to set competitive times later in the session.
Final Sprint Produces Tight Times Between Top Drivers
Late in the session, Racing Bulls’ Isack Hadjar recorded a solid 1m31.440s on softs, before Fernando Alonso, who had topped the first practice earlier, dipped into the 1m30s bracket with a 1m30.877s. Max Verstappen then edged slightly faster by 0.02 seconds. Ultimately, Piastri reclaimed the lead to close out the session fastest, with Hadjar’s final run sandwiched between Piastri and Verstappen. Alonso settled in behind them in fourth.
Despite Norris’s earlier pit wall collision, he secured fourth place in the final standings. However, the Briton expressed frustration over the gap to his team-mate, generally attributing the difference to his own driving performance. Lance Stroll finished sixth ahead of Ocon, with Carlos Sainz, Leclerc, and Hamilton rounding out the top ten times.
Drivers Face Challenges on a Demanding Street Circuit
The Singapore track, notorious for its tight corners and unforgiving barriers, contributed to the session’s tense atmosphere as several drivers struggled to find consistent pace without incident. George Russell’s crash at Turn 16 and Lawson’s at Turn 17 exemplified the fine margins required in the intense street circuit environment, where mistakes swiftly end running. The session reflected a competitive field grappling with track conditions and tyre management ahead of qualifying and the race.
What This Means for the Race Weekend
Oscar Piastri’s performance in claiming the fastest FP2 time at the Singapore Grand Prix raises expectations for McLaren’s competitiveness under pressure, especially as rivals like Verstappen and Alonso continue to battle closely. The disruptions to the session left teams with limited running to fine-tune setups, increasing uncertainty heading into qualifying. Drivers will aim to avoid costly errors on this unforgiving circuit while maximizing performance in the critical final sessions.
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Lando Norris shook off the pitlane drama to claim fourth, but later aired his dismay over the radio over his gap to Piastri – typically putting the near-half-second gap down to his driving.
” – Lando Norris, McLaren driver
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The session was then put on pause after Russell lost the rear and hit the wall at Turn 16, which snapped the front wing off from his Mercedes.
” – Race report
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Lawson then hit the wall on the exit of Turn 17 and peeled his right-front tyre off the rim to produce another red flag.
” – Race report
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Lewis Hamilton vaulted to the top of the order – but this was a brief flirtation with the limelight as the soft tyre runs had begun in earnest.
” – Race report
