F1 Singapore GP Live Commentary and Updates – FP1
Friday's opening action from the 18th round of the 2024 Formula 1 season
F1 completes its latest double-header with a now traditional trip to Singapore, as the season heads towards its crunch phase.
Oscar Piastri’s Azerbaijan GP win led the McLaren charge to the top of the F1 world constructors’ standings over Red Bull, while team-mate Lando Norris was able to chip into Max Verstappen’s advantage in the drivers’ championship. McLaren leads Red Bull by 20 points, while Verstappen’s heads Norris by 59 points.
Red Bull heads to relatively weak ground this weekend, as Singapore was host to the only non-Red Bull victory of the 2023 season, when Carlos Sainz clinched the win for Ferrari.
By: Haydn Cobb
With that, it is time for a breather. FP2 starts at 2pm BST/9pm local time, so until then, go well!
Here's the full report on Singapore GP opening practice.
Charles Leclerc, Ferrari SF-24
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
So, Ferrari - with its new front wing - is fast straight out of the box, along with McLaren's Norris. Only the top three made it into the 1m31s, with Verstappen needing to find a tenth to join that party. But, as is always said in Singapore, FP1 often counts for little compared to the night-time sessions that really matter.
The chequered flag is out so that is it for FP1, as Leclerc takes the headlines from Norris, Sainz and Verstappen.
Meanwhile Perez says he "cannot stop the car with the front right" as he locks up under braking. Snatchy brakey, catchy monkey.
"I'm trying to reduce the traction metrics. You guys have got to fix this, man, I'm being as soft as I can," Hamilton reports over team radio. To translate that, he is trying to be gentle on the throttle to avoid wheelspin on corner exits, as that chews through the tyres. It was an issue Hamilton struggled with in Baku before his post-qualifying set-up changes.
All the drivers have switched to high-fuel running for the final part of this session as nobody is troubling the best lap times. That should see Leclerc remain top in FP1, just as he did 12 months ago in Singapore.
I was not too sure about the McLaren livery for this race - a nod to the Marlboro-inspired design - but I think the white and papaya is growing on me.
Piastri has given a big, sloppy kiss to the wall on the exit of Turn 10 with his right-rear wheel, but has got away with it despite some paint damage.
Despite the threat of rain, it remains dry for the meantime. Plenty of cautious running through the opening couple of corners.
The Norris sandwich (or panino in this context, perhaps) is re-established as Ferrari's Leclerc goes top with a 1m31.763s from the Brit, with Sainz in third.
"Just to check, Fernando, you pushed the pit button. Is that on purpose?" Alonso's engineer asks.
"No, to avoid a crash with this car I pushed the buttons, all the ones I have," is the Spanish driver's reply. That's often my tactic on the F1 video game, but it doesn't often work.
Alonso produces a David Raya-like save (if you haven't seen his double save vs Atalanta last night, I advise you do) to avoid his Aston Martin taking a one-way trip into the wall having briefly lost control of his car over a kerb.
After Leclerc rated his last push lap as "s***" - risking the wrath of the FIA president there - his second effort is much better as he goes second quickest and just 0.037s off Norris.
Sainz flirts with the kerbs around the final two corners but keeps his Ferrari pinned to go second fastest, having seen Norris step up the pace with a 1m31.839s.
Elsewhere, Bottas is blocked for the second time in this session, this time by Perez coming out of the pits. The pit exit lane merges with the racing line at Turn 3, so that is quite a familiar scene.
Tsunoda joins the party to go second fastest, just 0.098s off Norris, despite struggling with understeer through the high-speed corners.
The soft tyre replies sees Verstappen go second, 0.216s off Norris, and Hamilton to third, 0.514s off his fellow Brit.
Norris leads the switch to the soft tyres, followed by Verstappen and Hamilton, so the McLaren driver instantly returns to the top of the times with a 1m32.165s despite a minor kerb ride that lost him time.
Leclerc puts in a new fastest lap of 1m32.702s to make it a Ferrari sandwich with a McLaren filling at the top of the times.
Norris is still chipping away at the top of the of the times, posting a 1m33.199s, which gives him a quarter of a second advantage over nearest challenger Sainz.
Perez locks up going into Turn 16 and has to take to the run-off area, and then rather baulks Piastri as he rejoins. That one might be looked at by the stewards, but probably nothing more than a slap on the wrists.
Our eagle eyes in the paddock have spotted a new Ferrari front wing that has arrived in Singapore. Here's what is on show and what Ferrari is aiming to gain from the new part.
Ferrari SF-24 front wing detail
Photo by: Giorgio Piola
And there goes Piastri, taking to the track for the first time in FP1, having missed the opening 12 minutes. Not bad going considering McLaren had initially been worried he might miss the majority of the session. Now the other Australian on the grid is stuck in the pits, as RB has a bit of trouble taking off the aero rake from the rear of Ricciardo's car.
The lap times are being chipped away at, as Norris displaces Verstappen at the top with a 1m33.903s on medium tyres. McLaren team-mate Piastri is in his cockpit eager to join the action as his mechanics continue to work on the car from its earlier practice pitstop issue.
The track is very dirty and dusty, to no great surprise given it effectively hasn't been used as a racetrack for 12 months, and that is leading to lots of drivers sliding on corner exits. It isn't quite Piastri drifting over kerbs in Baku, but it still looks stylish.
There are no FP1-specials for this weekend, but we do have Magnussen returning at Haas following his penalty points 'red card' that forced him to sit out the Azerbaijan GP. Bearman, who stood in for the Dane in Baku, is in the back of the Ferrari garage keeping a close eye on the session.