Piastri fastest in heavily disrupted Singapore FP2

Singapore Grand Prix – Second Practice Report

Oscar Piastri Speeds to Top of Disrupted Practice Session

Oscar Piastri emerged as the fastest driver in a chaotic second practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, clocking a best time of 1:30.714. The session, heavily affected by multiple incidents, was marked by two red flags and a peculiar pit lane crash involving Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.

The hour-long session lost a total of 24 minutes due to crashes by George Russell and Liam Lawson. Russell first hit the barriers at Turn 16 after misjudging his speed, sustaining significant damage that forced his early withdrawal after just six laps. “That was weird,” Russell remarked as he returned to the pits without a nosecone.

The session was briefly suspended for nearly 12 minutes to clear the wreckage, but once resumed, it was halted again shortly after when Lawson crashed his Racing Bulls car while on a fast lap at Turn 17. Lawson’s impact resulted in a destroyed right front tire and right-rear puncture, forcing him to stop at pit entry.

Compounding the session’s troubles, Leclerc collided with Norris just as the session was about to restart, sending Norris into the pit wall and damaging his front wing. Both drivers’ teams quickly began repairs; however, the incident is expected to be reviewed by stewards.

With qualifying simulations disrupted, Piastri capitalized on the opportunity to secure the top spot. Isack Hadjar finished a close second, only 0.132 seconds behind, while Max Verstappen took third, 0.143 seconds adrift of Piastri. Fernando Alonso rounded out the competitive top four, finishing fourth, just 0.163 seconds off the leader.

Norris struggled to regain his pace following the pit lane crash, ultimately finishing fifth, 0.483 seconds behind his teammate. He elicited discussions about adjusting his strategy but ultimately could not find the necessary time on his final laps.

Lance Stroll secured the sixth position, followed by Esteban Ocon and Carlos Sainz. Leclerc concluded the session ninth, narrowly edging out teammate Lewis Hamilton, who was 10th, with both drivers trailing Piastri by roughly eight-tenths of a second.

Yuki Tsunoda finished an uncompetitive 11th, 0.994 seconds slower than Piastri. He was followed by Oliver Bearman, Alex Albon, Nico Hülkenberg, and Gabriel Bortoleto, rounding out the top 15 positions. Pierre Gasly was the quickest of the Alpine drivers, finishing 16th, while Lawson’s crash left him in 17th prior to the session’s conclusion.

The unpredictable nature of the session puts teams on notice as the Singapore Grand Prix approaches, emphasizing the necessity for strategic adjustments and adaptability ahead of qualifying.