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Do long runs offer hope for Verstappen and Mercedes in Singapore?
- Cas van de Kleut
While McLaren and Ferrari had a rather positive Friday in Singapore, Red Bull Racing and Mercedes were struggling more in the Asian country, as the time sheets show over a single lap. Is there any hope for these two teams based on their long runs, or do they have to hope for a radical change come Saturday?
Red Bull to rely on long runs?
Verstappen completed his long run on the hards in Singapore. He started with a 1:37.215, and his average lap time was a 1:37.868 over six laps, but it is clearly unknown how much his RB20 fuelled up.
Similarly to the Dutchman, Sergio Perez also did his race simulation on the hardest tyre compound, however, he had slower place than his teammate. The Mexican's fastest lap was 1:38.408, and his average lap time was a 1:39.441.
Norris fastest on soft tyre
On Friday, Lando Norris and McLaren decided to complete their long run on the soft tyress. As a result, he was quicker than the Red Bulls. The Briton average lap time was a 1:37.621, and his fastest lap that stint was a 1:36.7. Oscar Piastri had a shorter race simluation, where he set 1:37s consistantly on the mediums.
Long runs of Ferrari and Mercedes
At Ferrari, both drivers did their stints on the mediums. Driving for six laps, Carlos Sainz's average was a 1:37.9. He also set his fastest lap time on his final lap, with a 1:36.866. Leclerc's long run was slighty longer, as he average time was a 1:38.094 over a nine-lap period. The Monegasque driver was especially consistent on his first five laps.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell also used the mediums for this purpose. Hamilton's average lap time was a 1:38.228 over seven laps, and his fastest time was a 1:37.0. His teammate, Russell, nearly had an identical average, but his fastest lap on the long run was approximately five tenths slower.
Who was fastest on Day 1 in Singapore?
As different teams opted for different tyres, it is not easy to have a clear look on who was the fastest on Day 1 on Singapore in terms of the long runs. Norris was the quickest on the softs, but Verstappen also showed strong pace on the hard tyres.
You can read the full overview below!
This article was written in collaboration with Kada Sarkozi
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