Oscar Piastri tops chaotic Singapore FP2 ahead of Hadjar and Verstappen

Oscar Piastri set the pace in a chaotic second practice session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, leading a disrupted FP2 ahead of Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen. The hour was littered with incidents, red flags, and drama both on track and in the pit lane, leaving teams with incomplete data ahead of Saturday’s crucial qualifying.

FP2 Recap: Chaos Under the Lights

The session began under warm and humid Singapore conditions — 28.5°C air temperature and 32.5°C track temperature — with teams eager to maximise running in the only representative night-time practice before qualifying. But plans were quickly thrown into disarray.

Early Incidents and Red Flags

George Russell was the first to trigger a stoppage, locking up and hitting the Turn 16 barriers, losing his front wing and ending his session prematurely. Soon after, Liam Lawson clipped the wall at Turn 17, damaging both front and rear wheels. His attempt to limp back to the pits on three wheels ended just before pit entry, bringing out the second red flag.

Pit Lane Collision: Leclerc vs Norris

As the session prepared to resume, Charles Leclerc was released alongside Lando Norris in the fast lane. The two made contact, forcing Norris into the pit wall and damaging his front wing. The incident is under investigation for an unsafe release, with Ferrari potentially facing a penalty.

Final Minutes: Flying Laps Amid the Mayhem

With just over ten minutes remaining, Verstappen briefly went fastest with a 1:30.857, narrowly ahead of Fernando Alonso. But Piastri, on four-lap-old softs, delivered a 1:30.714 to reclaim the top spot. Hadjar impressed with second place despite running on eight-lap-old softs, just 0.132s off the McLaren driver.

The top ten was rounded out by Alonso, Norris, Stroll, Ocon, Sainz, Leclerc, and Hamilton. Notably, Mercedes remain an unknown quantity — Russell missed most of FP2, and Kimi Antonelli did not run the soft compound at all.

FP2 Classification (Top 10)

1. Oscar Piastri – McLaren – 1:30.714 (Soft)
2. Isack Hadjar – Racing Bulls – +0.132 (Soft)
3. Max Verstappen – Red Bull – +0.143 (Soft)
4. Fernando Alonso – Aston Martin – +0.163 (Soft)
5. Lando Norris – McLaren – +0.483 (Soft)
6. Lance Stroll – Aston Martin – +0.508 (Soft)
7. Esteban Ocon – Haas – +0.584 (Soft)
8. Carlos Sainz – Williams – +0.585 (Soft)
9. Charles Leclerc – Ferrari – +0.752 (Soft)
10. Lewis Hamilton – Ferrari – +0.777 (Soft)

Key Takeaways

McLaren Bounce Back

After a subdued FP1, McLaren returned to form with Piastri leading and Norris in the top five despite his pit lane mishap. Piastri’s pace on used softs suggests strong qualifying potential.

Hadjar’s Statement Drive

Following a difficult Baku weekend, Hadjar’s P2 on worn tyres shows Racing Bulls could be a dark horse in Singapore, especially in the cooler night conditions.

Verstappen in the Mix

The reigning champion has never won at Marina Bay, but his pace — fastest in sector two — indicates Red Bull will be a threat if they can fine-tune their setup.

Ferrari’s Mixed Fortunes

Leclerc looked competitive but faces a stewards’ investigation, while Hamilton grazed the wall late on. Both will need clean runs in FP3 to prepare for qualifying.

Mercedes Data Deficit

Russell’s crash and Antonelli’s lack of soft tyre running leave Mercedes with unanswered questions heading into Saturday.

Looking Ahead

With FP2 heavily compromised by red flags and incidents, the true pecking order remains unclear. FP3 will be vital for teams to complete qualifying simulations and long-run data gathering. Under the Singapore lights, expect a tight battle between McLaren, Red Bull, Aston Martin, and potentially Racing Bulls for pole position.