George Russell tops sole Singapore practice, edging Charles Leclerc
Mercedes’ George Russell posted the fastest lap in Singapore’s only practice session, putting Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc second as teams fine‑tune for the night race.
Mercedes driver George Russell claimed the top spot in the sole practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, posting a lap time that left Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in second place, according to reports from BBC and Sky Sports. The session, shortened to a single 45‑minute window due to the tight race weekend schedule, gave teams just one chance to gauge tyre performance and car balance on the Marina Bay street circuit.
Session highlights
Russell’s quickest lap of 1:36.720 was set midway through the session, a time that comfortably eclipsed Leclerc’s best of 1:37.014. Both drivers ran on the soft tyre compound, which Pirelli confirmed would be the sole tyre choice for the race weekend. Mercedes appeared to have found a strong rhythm on the high‑downforce layout, with Russell commenting on the car’s stability through the circuit’s famous 14‑corner sequence.
Ferrari, meanwhile, struggled to match Mercedes’ pace despite Leclerc’s strong qualifying form in previous races. The Italian team used the practice to test a revised rear‑wing configuration aimed at improving balance in the slower sections of the track. While the changes yielded a respectable lap time, they were not enough to challenge Russell’s early lead.
Implications for qualifying and race strategy
The practice results suggest Mercedes may have an edge heading into qualifying, where the grid is set for a night race that often rewards cars with strong low‑speed cornering performance. Russell’s pace could translate into a front‑row start, putting him in a prime position to challenge Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the podium.
For Indian fans, the Singapore Grand Prix will be broadcast live on FanCode, with the practice session starting at 02:00 IST, qualifying at 06:00 IST, and the race kicking off at 09:00 IST on 22 September. The night race’s unique lighting and street‑circuit challenges make it a must‑watch event for the Indian F1 audience.
Source: BBC