Russell tops Singapore GP free practice as Verstappen dominates medium tyres

George Russell recorded the quickest lap in the only free-practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, posting a 1:32.274 on soft tyres. The Mercedes driver beat Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris by roughly two-tenths of a second.

Max Verstappen, who ran on medium compounds, led that tyre class with a 1:33.006, about half a second faster than championship-leading rookie Kimi Antonelli. Antonelli had set the fastest overall time on hard tyres earlier in the session with a 1:33.830.

The session was run in unusually hot conditions, with track temperatures reaching 53 °C, which differ from the cooler night-time environment expected for qualifying and the race. Most teams started on hard tyres before switching to softer compounds for the final fifteen minutes.

Audi's Nico Hulkenberg retired after a gearbox issue on the main straight, prompting a virtual safety car. Other notable performances included Alpine's Pierre Gasly topping the midfield on mediums and Cadillac drivers occupying the lower end of the order.