Oscar Piastri topped a fragmented FP2 at the Singapore Grand Prix in a session punctuated by red flags, a pit-lane collision and a raft of near-misses under the lights at Marina Bay.
FP2 headline: Piastri quickest amid disruption
The championship leader set a 1:30.714 in his McLaren to lead the evening session. Racing Bulls rookie Isack Hadjar impressed in P2, with Max Verstappen third for Red Bull. The hour was chopped up by two red flags: George Russell crashed nose-first at Turn 16, then Liam Lawson slapped the wall at Turn 17, shedding his right-front wheel and stopping at pit entry.
Pit-lane drama: Leclerc–Norris clash
As the field scrambled to rejoin after the stoppages, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was unsafely released into Lando Norris, pitching the McLaren into the pit-lane wall and damaging its front wing. The incident drew the stewards’ attention, with Ferrari under investigation. Norris later said he was “not feeling too great with the car” and was “missing all the feelings [he] had here last year.”
Who looked sharp, who struggled
- Oscar Piastri (McLaren): Fastest in FP2; calm execution despite interruptions.
- Isack Hadjar (Racing Bulls): Eye-catching P2 on the timesheets.
- Max Verstappen (Red Bull): P3 and within striking distance of the top time.
- Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): Set the FP1 benchmark and remained competitive in the evening running.
- Lando Norris (McLaren): P5 in FP2 but dejected with balance and feedback; front wing changed after the pit-lane contact.
Russell’s “weird” crash and the heat factor
Russell described his Turn 16 shunt as “a weird one,” having braked earlier and still losing the rear. The crash ended his FP2 early and scuppered a planned test of FIA-approved cooling vests on a sweltering night that hovered above 31°C with humidity around 80%.
The bigger picture
- Track evolution was pronounced, compressing soft-tyre attempts into a late-session shootout.
- Lewis Hamilton brushed the wall on his first push in the Ferrari and aborted another flyer.
- Williams’ Carlos Sainz joined the top 10 as the order shuffled in the final minutes.
What to watch next
With red flags masking long-run reads and the pit-lane incident adding intrigue, Saturday’s final practice will be crucial for dialing in qualifying sims. McLaren holds the headline time courtesy of Piastri, but Red Bull’s pace—and Verstappen’s search for an elusive Singapore win—keep the battle finely poised.
