Ferrari driver Carlos Sainz set the best time in the second Formula 1 practice session before the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Spaniard edged out his teammate Charles Leclerc on the second place, third on the Marina Bay Street Circuit in the Asian metropolis George Russell in the Mercedes.
On his 25th birthday, world champion Max Verstappen spent most of the practice session in the pits and turned his fastest lap very late, which was only enough for fourth place. It was not initially known whether a technical problem was the reason for the hesitation of the Red Bull star from the Netherlands.
Sebastian Vettel drove in the Aston-Martin in twelfth place, Mick Schumacher drove his Haas car in 19th place. Vettel had won the last race in Singapore three years ago. With five successes, he is also the record winner on the course. In the past two years it was Grand Prix canceled due to the Corona pandemic.
Gasly’s Alpha Tauri catches fire
There was a brief moment of shock when the Frenchman’s Alpha Tauri Pierre Gasly suddenly started to burn on the way to the pits. The small fire in the 26-year-old’s back was quickly extinguished. jumped to be safe Gasly but immediately out of the car.
If Verstappen wins the race on Sunday (2 p.m.), he can complete his successful title defense early on and become world champion for the second time. However, he has main competitor Leclerc and also his stable rivals Sergio Perez keep your distance from it. Before the 17th of 22 rounds of the season, Verstappen leads Leclerc with 116 points. After this Grand Prix he would need a lead of 138 points to make the decision. Otherwise he can only become champion next week in Japan.