Alonso is still going strong as Piastri tops FP2 – If the first free practice session in Singapore was a teaser, the second proved that the heat at Marina Bay wasn’t about to let up. World championship leader and McLaren’s golden boy, Oscar Piastri, topped the session with a lap time that reminded everyone why he’s at the top of the standings.
Yet once again, it was Fernando Alonso who managed to bring his Aston Martin into the conversation, finishing fourth and showing that FP1 wasn’t a one-off fairy tale, but rather the continuation of the ageing Spaniard’s refusal to act his age.
This has become Alonso’s trademark: just when the world thinks his best days are behind him, he delivers another performance that leaves engineers scribbling furiously on their notepads and rivals muttering into their radios. Alonso himself seems to enjoy annoying the younger generation, treating them like chess pawns while he plays his own very long game.
Piastri bounced back and Hadjar crashed the party
Piastri’s session win was also a much-needed rebound. After his first-lap exit in Baku, the Australian seemed determined to prove that he could keep both car and ego intact. His lap time nudged him just ahead of the day’s surprise package: Isack Hadjar, the Racing Bulls rookie who seems to have missed the memo that he’s not supposed to be ahead of Verstappen.
Hadjar’s performance was no fluke. Finishing second ahead of a four-time world champion is the kind of result that could turn the Racing Bulls’ press office into a champagne bar.
As for Verstappen, finishing third in Singapore must feel like a big dose of reality after his recent wins at Monza and Baku.
Red flags, barriers and Ferrari’s spatial awareness problem
The session wasn’t without its chaos. George Russell found out the hard way that Singapore’s barriers are less forgiving than a Mercedes PR statement. His car clipped the wall, bringing out the first red flag. Not to be outdone, Liam Lawson in the Racing Bulls followed with a full-on sideways crash that turned carbon fibre into modern art. As always, the marshals were left to sweep up the pieces.
Meanwhile, Ferrari proved once again that multitasking isn’t their strong suit. Charles Leclerc collided with Lando Norris while exiting the garage in a manoeuvre so clumsy that it could be submitted as a TikTok blooper. Norris, who ended the session in fifth place, probably left the paddock with bruised carbon fibre and bruised feelings.
Alonso was lurking again
And then there was Alonso, who finished fourth but looked more menacing than his position suggests. After topping FP1, many expected him to tumble down the order as reality set in and the conditions changed to something closer to the nighttime race on Sunday. Instead, he remained at the sharp end of the grid, reminding everyone that Aston Martin might just be onto something in Singapore, or at least that Alonso is still willing to push the car to its limits.
The Spaniard’s calm radio chatter contrasted beautifully with the chaos around him. He seems to thrive when others lose their cool, which happens often in 31-degree heat with high humidity.
The heat rule made its debut in Singapore
Speaking of heat, Singapore’s sweltering conditions forced the FIA to activate its new “heat rule” for the first time. Drivers are now permitted to wear cooling vests, and each car must be fitted with additional devices to prevent drivers from melting into their cockpits. The price for survival? An extra five kilograms tacked onto the minimum car weight, bringing it to 805 kilograms.
For some teams, this presents an engineering challenge. For others, however, it’s a welcome acknowledgement from Formula 1 that its drivers are human beings and not air-conditioned androids.
In any case, drivers strapping on cooling vests between stints may soon rival tyre strategies for prime TV airtime.
Verstappen is chasing, Piastri is leading and Alonso is plotting
With Verstappen 69 points behind Piastri and 44 behind Norris in the standings, the Singapore Grand Prix could be another pivotal weekend in a championship that refuses to be straightforward. Despite his recent dominance elsewhere, Verstappen has never won under the Marina Bay lights. This alone will keep his rivals smiling.
Yet while Norris and Piastri battle it out and Verstappen calculates how to claw back points, Alonso lurks in the background. Nobody expects him to challenge for the title, but, in true Alonso fashion, he seems determined to ensure that no one else has an easy path to it either.
The Alonso subplot is fast becoming the best part of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend. Every time the grid lines up, you can sense the younger drivers looking over their shoulders, wondering when the old master will swoop in. And in Singapore, where the heat is relentless and mistakes are instantly punished, Alonso’s patience, experience and skill could yet pen another unexpected chapter. Hopefully…
MORE F1 NEWS – Singapore F1 crashfest includes bizarre incident
The second practice session at the Formula One Grand Prix is more vital than other Friday afternoon sessions given the fact it, rather than FP3 in Singapore is more representative of the conditions for qualifying.
The teams all perform their qualifying simulations under the lights in the city state together with long runs earlier in the session to understand the tyre performance for the Grand Prix.
The drivers generally build into the weekend as each of the 19 corners contain some jeopardy yet chaos reigned in Singapore with drivers crashing and a bizarre pit lane incident…READ MORE ON THIS STORY
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