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Verstappen DENIED top spot after chaotic Singapore Grand Prix FP1

Verstappen was not best pleased with his RB19 as he failed to claim top spot during FP1 at the Marina Bay Street Circuit

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 15 September 2023 12:38 Updated: 12:44

Charles Leclerc claimed top spot during FP1 at the Singapore Grand Prix, as Max Verstappen complained over setup issues with his RB19 during a chaotic hour at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Leclerc was joined by Carlos Sainz at the top of the timing sheets, with the Spaniard just 0.078s behind his Ferrari team-mate's lap time of 1:33:350s.

Lando Norris finished the session behind Verstappen to claim fourth, ahead of the Mercedes duo of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell in fifth and sixth respectively.

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Sergio Perez came home in seventh, with Fernando Alonso, Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon rounding off the top 10.

Ferrari fight back

Charles Leclerc enjoyed a fine FP1 at the Marina Bay circuit

Despite a lot of the build up to this weekend focusing on the Marina Bay Street Circuit not suiting the Ferraris, that certainly did not seem the case during FP1.

Sainz and Leclerc flew to the top of the timesheets and stayed there as qualifying sims started and the soft red tyres went on.

Although not entirely indicative of Sunday's race, there will certainly be encouraging signs for Fred Vasseur to ponder ahead of the running in FP2 later on Friday.

McLaren's upgrade packs a punch

Lando Norris was pleased with the upgrades to the MCL60 this weekend

Norris set an early pace at the beginning of the session as he looked to lay down a marker for the weekend. The McLaren arrived at Singapore with further upgrades and its pace was clear to see from the very start.

Oscar Piastri, who will have to wait until the Japanese Grand Prix next time out to enjoy the full range of Norris' upgrades, ended the session in 19th.

McLaren CEO, Zak Brown, revealed his pleasure with the early performance of the MCL60, stating that Norris had provided positive feedback with the changes made to his car this weekend.

Verstappen's Red Bull complaints

Max Verstappen took to the team radio to reveal his displeasure at the RB19's setup in FP1

Verstappen was not pleased with several issues with his RB19 in the early part of FP1, as he complained over the 'aggressive downshifts' and 'oversteer in every corner'.

And it didn't take long before the Dutchman returned to team radio to bemoan his 'low speed' and a lack of traction.

Perez meanwhile had a rather different complaint, asking for his seat height to be raised to help him see the apex of the corners more clearly.

F1 livery changes

The Williams 'Gulf' livery on display at the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend

Fans were treated to a rare glimpse of the Marina Bay track in the daytime, with the first practice session taking place prior to sunset in Singapore.

Although qualifying and the race itself will take place under the lights on Saturday and Sunday respectively, both FP1 and FP3 take place earlier in the day.

This showcased both Williams' 'Gulf' livery – on display for the next three races – and McLaren's 'Stealth Mode' livery – in use for both the Singapore and Japan Grands Prix.

A strange reunion

Max Verstappen met a familiar friend during FP1 at the Singapore Grand Prix

And despite the majority of attention being on both the racing and the new designs on display, a rather curious incident led to a yellow flag being waved after the halfway stage of the session.

Despite no immediate reason for the flag becoming apparent, it was soon revealed that a lizard had made its way onto the track.

Fans will remember Verstappen's comical reaction to seeing a reptile at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in 2016, and the Dutchman didn't miss his chance to reminisce as he avoided making contact with the animal.

"Ah. There's a lizard again on the track," he said. "A smaller one this time."

And remarkably two more lizards also found their way onto the circuit later in the session prompting further yellow flags.

The two-time world champion will no doubt be hoping to avoid any further distractions over the weekend as he goes in search of his maiden race win in Singapore.

Here are the timesheets from Friday's practice action at Marina Bay.

Singapore Grand Prix FP1 practice results - Friday September 15

1. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): 1:33.350sec

2. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): +0.078s

3. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): +0.126s

4. Lando Norris (McLaren): +0.172s

5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): +0.190s

6. George Russell (Mercedes): +0.345s

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +0.375s

8. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +0.624s

9. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): +0.692s

10. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +0.716s

11. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +1.218s

12. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +1.289s

13. Alex Albon (Williams): +1.307s

14. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo): +1.452s

15. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +1.537s

16. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri): +1.544s

17. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): +1.635s

18. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo): +2.106s

19. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +2.124s

20. Logan Sargeant (Williams): +2.428s

Geschreven door

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

After four years working for a Lloyd's of London insurance syndicate, lockdown gave me the chance to chase a career in sports journalism - I haven't looked back. I have found a home here at GPFans where I can showcase the weird and wonderful world of F1 to the millions of fans around the world who are just as passionate as I am about the best sport in the world.

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