Charles Leclerc topped the first Formula 1 practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, narrowly edging out Lando Norris by just 0.076 seconds.
Norris started off strong, gradually increasing his pace on medium tires, first setting a time of 1m33.903s, which he later improved to 1m33.199s. This time held the top spot for about five minutes. Meanwhile, the Ferrari drivers were running on hard tires in their early laps. Leclerc managed to clock a 1m32.702s, overtaking Norris to claim the fastest time.
Norris then switched to the soft compound tires, setting a new benchmark of 1m32.165s during the performance runs. Although no one could surpass this time on their initial attempts, Carlos Sainz came remarkably close, missing Norris’s time by just one-thousandth of a second on his first run with the softest compound.
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F1 Singapore GP: What Are The Upgrades?
With a three-week break following the Singapore Grand Prix, this event was never expected to feature as many upgrades as the upcoming Austin race might. However, seven teams have still introduced some updates, as detailed by Mark Hughes:
Red Bull
Red Bull has increased the front brake duct exit area to manage the brake cooling requirements specific to this circuit.
Ferrari Ferrari has brought a new front wing to Singapore, featuring revised geometry across the third and fourth elements. This design is intended to improve downstream airflow during cornering transitions.
McLaren
McLaren has reverted to a higher downforce lower beam wing to meet the demands of the Singapore track.
Aston Martin
Aston Martin has introduced a new front wing with a more aggressive flap, designed to balance the car with the high-downforce rear wing needed for this circuit.
Alpine
Alpine has added a more aggressive flap to its rear wing to generate additional downforce. The extra drag caused by this setup is less of a concern on this track compared to others.
Williams
Williams has introduced new aerodynamic sheathing around the front wishbones, track rod, and pushrods to optimize airflow with the bodywork changes made at Zandvoort.
This upgrade will only be on Alex Albon’s car in Singapore. Albon noted that while the simulator shows promise, the real impact on lap times may vary depending on the circuit.
He mentioned that Singapore typically doesn’t favor Williams, but they are using this weekend to experiment and learn more about the upgrade to help for the rest of the season.
Red Bull (RB)
Similar to Aston Martin, Red Bull has developed a more aggressive front wing flap to balance the car with the high-downforce rear wing suited for Singapore.
No upgrades declared: Mercedes, Sauber, and Haas.
