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Carlos Sainz led practice at the Singapore Grand Prix. (Ferrari photo)

Ferrari Sweeps Singapore Practice

Carlos Sainz led a Ferrari sweep during Formula 1 practice at the Singapore Grand Prix, with teammate Charles Leclerc following close behind.

Sainz set a fast lap of 1 minute, 32.120 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

“Here, there is more stress on the tires, which is a tricky topic for us. It’s also a high downforce track, so I expect a very close race, where the smallest detail can make the difference,” the Spaniard said. “Some teams that were behind us in Monza will be on our level here, so it will be vital to do everything right to make the most of our potential.”

Meanwhile, Leclerc was a mere .018 seconds off pace.

Mercedes’ George Russell was third, with Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso and Mercedes teammate Lewis Hamilton completing the top five in practice.

“FP2 was for sure the best FP2 session I’ve had this year. It was nice to finish a Friday feeling so positive. I think we’ve got a good platform to build off for the rest of the weekend,” Hamilton said. 

Lando Norris, Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen, Kevin Magnussen and Valtteri Bottas filed into the top 10.

“Our performance today was unexpected. We tried quite a few different things in FP2 and some worked, and some didn’t. We never really got the car together today. I struggled with the balance especially, so there are quite a few things to work on with the team tonight,” noted Verstappen.