F1 Today | FIA punish Verstappen for swearing as his rivals set the pace
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Two free practice sessions have been completed in Singapore on Friday, with a Ferrari and a McLaren topping each session in the Asian country. Before heavy rain hit the track during the evening, Max Verstappen was also penalised for swearing during the press conference. GPblog bring you the best news of the day from the world of Formula One!
FP1 and FP2 in Singapore
Charles Leclerc was the quickest in FP1 in the Asian country. The Monegasque driver's quickest lap time that session was 1:31.763, as he finished ahead of Lando Norris and Carlos Sainz. After the break between the two sessions, Lando Norris did manage to set a faster time than Leclerc in FP2, as the two switched positions, but Sainz could remain in P3.
Red Bull and Mercedes did struggle more in FP2, as Max Verstappen finished in P15, while Lewis Hamilton also only got up to P11. The Briton was especially not happy with his car following the session. Could these two teams' long runs be a saving grace as they dive into data over the evening? Read our analysis here!
FIA penalise Verstappen for swearing
After FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem declared that drivers should swear less, during Thursday's press conference, Max Verstappen decided not to care about that suggestion, and said the word "f***". The Dutchman as a results had to appear in front of the stewards at 19:00 local time, after breaching the 'International Sporting Code'.
Later today, it was announced that Max Verstappen will indeed receive a penalty for swearing. The stewards decision was the following: 'Obligation to accomplish some work of public interest'. You can find Verstappen's reaction to the verdict here!
Bottas rumoured to remain at Sauber, VCARB misterious about Ricciardo's future
According to Blick, rumours suggest that Valtteri Bottas will remain at Sauber [Stake F1] in the 2025 season, before the team will officially become Audi. F2 championship leader Gabriel Bortoleto was also rumoured to be in contention for a seat at the team, but now the Swiss newspaper have reported that a deal has been completed with the Finnish driver.
Meanwhile, team principal Laurent Mekies remained mysterious about the other available F1 seat. According to the VCARB team principal, they will sit down after the Singapore GP to talk about Daniel Ricciardo's future at the team. By saying this, Mekies has also not ruled out that the Australian could possible leave the team already after this weekend.
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