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.
Russell loses control
First to lose control of his car was George Russell who was on a push lap. He lost the rear of his Mercedes car on the turn into turn 16 damaging the techpro barrier and scattering carbon fibre and his front wing across the circuit.
When asked if he was fine by his race engineer, the British driver responded, “That was weird. Yeah (I’m alright).” Mercedes confirmed his session was over and Russell explained his thoughts in the media pen.
“A bit of a weird one to be honest. I’m not too sure what happened,” Russell said. “I braked a bit earlier, went in a bit slower, but lost the rear. Thankfully I went in front-end on and didn’t do too much damage but it was game over. A bit annoying, sorry to the team for that, but better it happened today than tomorrow.”
Lawson destroy’s Racing Bull car
The session was halted for ten minutes whilst the barrier was repaired and the carbon fibre cleared away. Russell failed to run the soft tyre which will be crucial in qualifying, this may then place him at a disadvantage on Saturday evening.
Shortly after the resumption it was Liam Lawson’s turn to make his acquaintance with the concrete wall as he missed the apex at the final turn. The Racing Bull suffered significant damage to the front and rear and the front right tyre detached from the wheel rim causing the car to score a groove in the tarmac as it entered the pit lane.
Race control briefly closed the pit lane entry, forcing a number of drivers to fail to comply with the red flag regulations. Instead of returning “immediately to the pit lane” as the rule states, they circulated around one more time and by then the pit lane had been opened despite Lawson\s car blocking the initial entry point.
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Bizarre pit lane incident
The Racing Bull had to be recovered onto a flat bed truck but as the session was set to resume, all hell broke out in the pit lane. Race control made a late announcement of the time of the restart, giving the teams and drivers just one second’s notice and the predictable then occurred.
With just eleven minutes remaining the drivers all raced out with Lando Norris in the garage behind the Ferrari’s. As the British driver hurtled down the pit lane, Ferrari released Charles Leclerc who blinded by his mechanics drive straight into the side of the McLaren.
Embarrassed the Ferrari mechanics assisted the McLaren crew in pushing Norris car back into the garage where his front wing was replaced. When he returned to the pit lane a minute or so later, Lando was seen testing his car to check if the suspension was sound.
Leclerc has been summoned to the stewards office as they investigate an unsafe release once the session was completed. Sky’s Ted Kravitz joked with Norris after the session that he had a fair claim for insurance damage caused by Ferrari. Norris deflated by being beaten by his team mate, sighed and bemoaned how his driving had been poor.
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Calls for FIA rule change for Singapore
There were calls for the FIA to change the regulations for practice two in qualifying which sees the clock countdown to the end of the session during any red flags delay. 26 minutes were lost in practice in total due to red flags and the drivers desperation to return to the circuit after the second was entirely predictable.
When asked whether this rule change should be considered, Aston Martin team boss Andy Cowell was pragmatic. “Its the same for everyone,” he declared before suggesting the lack of preparation may make qualifying “more exciting.”
Earlier in the day, Fernando Alonso was quickest in FP1, the first time in a dry practice session since Singapore 2014 when he was driving for Ferrari. Rookie Isack Hadjar was second quickest in FP2 whilst Oscar Piastri topped the session
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The perceived wisdom in the world of Formula One is that with the huge new regulation changes coming in 2026, development of this season’s racing machines is now finished with resources focused on next season. Williams were the first team to abandon their 2025 upgrade programme back in May something which made newbie driver Carlos Sainz “angry.”
“I think this car has a lot of potential,” the Spaniard lamented in Miami. “If we could really develop it and put the improvements I could ask the team to make in the wind tunnel, and improve two or three things on the car that are currently not so good, I’m convinced the team could make huge strides forward.”
Sainz explained the decision had been made already “not to invest in this year’s car and to put all the budget and wind tunnel hours into the 2026 car and focus on that.
A.J. Hunt is Senior Editor at TJ13, where Andrew oversees editorial standards and contributes to the site’s Formula 1 coverage. A career journalist with experience in both print and digital sports media, Andrew trained in investigative journalism and has written for a range of European sports outlets.
At TJ13, Andrew plays a central role in shaping the site’s output, working across breaking news, analysis, and long-form features. Andrew’s responsibilities include fact-checking, refining editorial structure, and ensuring consistency in reporting across a fast-moving news cycle.
Andrew’s work focuses particularly on the intersection of Formula 1 politics, regulation, and team strategy. Andrew closely follows developments involving the FIA, team leadership, and driver market dynamics, helping to provide context behind the sport’s biggest stories.
With experience covering multiple seasons of Formula 1’s modern hybrid era, Andrew has developed a detailed understanding of how regulatory changes and competitive shifts influence the grid. Andrew’s editorial approach prioritises clarity and context, aiming to help readers navigate complex developments within the sport.
In addition to editorial duties, Andrew is particularly interested in how media narratives shape fan perception of Formula 1, and how reporting can balance speed with accuracy in an increasingly digital news environment.
