Max Verstappen ISSUES persist as Red Bull kept off top spot in Singapore Grand Prix FP2

Singapore Grand Prix

Verstappen ISSUES persist as Red Bull kept off top spot in Singapore Grand Prix FP2

The signs are slowly pointing towards a possible new race winner this season after FP2

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Friday 15 September 2023 16:02 Updated: 16:09

Carlos Sainz continued to impress for Ferrari during FP2 as he and Charles Leclerc confirmed successive one-twos during Friday's practice sessions at the Singapore Grand Prix.

A lap time of 1:32:120s saw Sainz pip Leclerc by 0.018s to top spot, with George Russell putting in an impressive run for Mercedes to claim third behind the Ferrari duo.

Fernando Alonso would split the Silver Arrows in fourth, as Lewis Hamilton rounded off the top five, some 0.465s off Sainz in first.

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Lando Norris' upgraded MCL60 could only see him register a P6 finish for the session, which shockingly meant that neither Red Bull were able to record a top six time in FP2.

Sergio Perez would go faster than Max Verstappen to claim the seventh fastest lap time, while Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas finished off the top 10.

Ferrari's pace continues

It was another impressive session for Leclerc and Ferrari during FP2 in Singapore

Having topped the timing sheets in FP1, Leclerc and Sainz picked up where they left off during the day's second running.

The pair quickly flew to top of the leaderboard on a track where the team's chances had been somewhat dismissed compared to their efforts in Monza last time out.

Yet Ferrari put on a show for their fans in Singapore as they once again prevented Verstappen and Red Bull from going fastest in successive practice sessions.

In fact, it was Verstappen who was accused of holding up Sainz as the Spaniard took to the radio to claim that he 'nearly crashed into' the slow moving Red Bull during the session.

Red Bull concerns

Max Verstappen failed to make the top five during FP2

After the conclusion of FP1, it was clear that Verstappen was not entirely comfortable with the setup of his RB19.

Yet sadly for the Dutchman things did not improve much for him in Friday's second practice session.

It took just 20 minutes before he lost the rear of his RB19 past the Esplanade Bridge, proceeding to complain about a lack of grip.

Although the race pace of Verstappen's car will no doubt be strong come Sunday, there are signs that the two-time world champion's run of successive race wins might be in serious jeopardy.

And if Red Bull are hoping that Perez can be there to pick up the pieces of his team-mate, a rather concerning radio message may just bring them back down to earth.

"It's just not coming mate," the Mexican told his engineer. 'Every braking zone I feel like I'm going to crash. The rear is just stepping out massively."

A seventh and eighth place finish in FP2 for Perez and Verstappen respectively will leave plenty to ponder ahead of Saturday's action.

Issues for Albon

The new 'Gulf' livery did not bring Albon much luck at the Marina Bay track

It was not the start to FP2 that Albon would have been hoping for.

The Williams driver took to team radio to complain of power issues after just ten minutes had ticked past in the session.

The 27-year-old was called back to the garage for the team to take a look at things in what they hope will not be a recurring issue for the rest of the race weekend.

Yet sadly for Albon and the team, Logan Sargeant was the sole driver for the rest of the session, hampering the amount of data they can gather during their time on track.

It was especially easy to spot Albon on track this weekend as Williams' new 'Gulf' livery stood out under the lights at the Marina Bay track.

Singapore Grand Prix FP2 practice results

1. Carlos Sainz (Ferrari): 1:32.120sec

2. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari): +0.018s

3. George Russell (Mercedes): +0.235s

4. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin): +0.358s

5. Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes): +0.465s

6. Lando Norris (McLaren): +0.591s

7. Sergio Perez (Red Bull): +0.692s

8. Max Verstappen (Red Bull): +0.732s

9. Kevin Magnussen (Haas): +0.897s

10. Valtteri Bottas (Alfa Romeo): +0.985s

11. Nico Hulkenberg (Haas): +1.019s

12. Liam Lawson (AlphaTauri): +1.165s

13. Esteban Ocon (Alpine): +1.241s

14. Lance Stroll (Aston Martin): +1.270s

15. Oscar Piastri (McLaren): +1.341s

16. Yuki Tsunoda (AlphaTauri): +1.357s

17. Zhou Guanyu (Alfa Romeo): +1.455s

18. Pierre Gasly (Alpine): +1.704s

19. Logan Sargeant (Williams): +2.207s

20. Alex Albon (Williams): +3.438s

Written by

Matthew Hobkinson - Lead Editor

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

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