FP1 REPORT | Leclerc tops the session ahead of Sainz, Verstappen P3

Charles Leclerc was the quickest in FP1 with a 1:33.350. The Monegasque driver was closely followed by teammate Carlos Sainz, and Max Verstappen completed the Top 3 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. The two Ferraris and Verstappen were only separated by 0.126 seconds at the top.

As it happened

The drivers and teams began to learn the track on either hard or medium tyres at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. In the first stints while learning the track, the Ferraris proved to be quick on the hard tyres, as Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc set the initial pace of the session.

After the first 25 minutes of the session, Lando Norris was the quickest on the medium set of tyres. The Briton was followed by George Russell, Leclerc, Esteban Ocon and Sergio Perez in the Top 5, all of them but Ocon set their fastest times on the hards.

The drivers started their second stints of the day on the soft tyres. Leclerc was the fastest ahead of teammate Sainz and Max Verstappen after the teams’ first runs on the softest compound. The top 5 was only separated by 0.190 seconds, and was rounded off by Lando Norris and Lewis Hamilton. During the final five minutes of the session, the drivers returned to track on the hard tyres with a fuelled up car, therefore, the final results did not change.

There were no incidents during the session. Drivers occasionally left the track and Alexander Albon was to close to the wall in the final corners, but the only yellow flags were caused by different iguanas entering the track in Sector 2.