Fernando Alonso set the pace in the first practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix, clocking a best lap of 1:31.116 to edge out Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.
The session, held under humid skies with lingering damp patches, offered a dramatic start to the weekend.
Early drama in hot conditions
FP1 saw most teams begin cautiously despite all 20 cars hitting the track early.
Many opted for hard tyres initially, while Aston Martin chose medium rubber in a move that paid off for Alonso.
Elsewhere, it was drama for Williams when Alex Albon returned to the pits with smoke trailing from his rear brakes.
The team deployed fire extinguishers and air blowers, but Albon was ruled out for the rest of the one-hour session having completed just two laps.
Ultimately, the conditions were such that the FIA issued a ‘heat hazard’ declaration and mandated a special Driver Cooling System for this weekend’s cars.
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Alonso holds as rivals push
As the session matured, drivers pushed harder, with Leclerc, Verstappen, and others also producing fast sector times on soft tyres.
Indeed, Leclerc briefly led the soft-tyre running before Alonso’s benchmark held.
Further incidents included Pierre Gasly running off-track at Turn 14 and Lewis Hamilton enjoying a close brush with the wall at the same corner.
McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, meanwhile, described his car as “very under-steery” at first as the Australian struggled for pace before improving later on.
By the close of FP1, Alonso’s time remained unbeaten, with Leclerc +0.150 behind and Verstappen +0.276 off the top.
The rest of the top 10 featured Hamilton, Piastri, Lando Norris, Isack Hadjar, Carlos Sainz, Yuki Tsunoda, and Esteban Ocon.
Teams will now analyse data and adjust set-ups ahead of FP2, which is likely to take place in conditions more akin to qualifying.
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SportJustSport writers