Singapore night saw a dramatic second practice session as championship leader Oscar Piastri put McLaren back on top, navigating a chaotic track littered with accidents.
The session kicked off with George Russell crashing his Mercedes into a trackside wall, scattering debris and bringing out red flags for an extended delay. Not long after, Liam Lawson suffered a mishap on his Racing Bulls car, striking the wall and struggling to return to the pits on three wheels.
Chaos continued when Lando Norris attempted a swift return to the track but collided with Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in the pit lane, prompting a $10,000 fine for Ferrari due to an “unsafe release.”
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Through the turmoil, Piastri delivered the fastest lap, clocking 1:30.714, bouncing back from a disappointing race in Azerbaijan. “It’s been a good start. The pace was solid, and I learned a lot today,” said the Australian driver.
Isack Hadjar impressed with second fastest at 1:30.846, followed closely by reigning champion Max Verstappen in 1:30.857, keeping his title hopes alive despite trailing Piastri by 69 points.
Fernando Alonso topped first practice earlier and stayed competitive with a fourth-place finish in the second session at 1:30.877, just ahead of Norris in fifth. Aston Martin’s Lance Stroll completed the top six, showing a strong Friday performance.
Meanwhile, Carlos Sainz, Singapore 2023 winner, was eighth, ahead of Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton. Alex Albon recovered from a brake fire in the morning session to set 13th fastest time.
Mercedes struggled, with Russell managing only six laps post-crash, leaving teammate Kimi Antonelli 18th. “It was a bit of a weird one… better today than tomorrow,” Russell admitted.
Despite the FIA heat hazard regulations, temperatures remained moderate, allowing drivers to push limits. Friday’s session set the stage for an unpredictable Singapore GP, with safety and pace both in sharp focus.
