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Formula 1
Singapore GP
F1 Singapore GP Live Commentary and Updates - FP3 & qualifying
Saturday's action from the Marina Bay circuit ahead of the Singapore GP
F1's first ever night race back in 2008, Singapore's Marina Bay circuit blends a challenging layout with hot, tropical conditions to work the drivers hard throughout the 61-lap race.
Sebastian Vettel won last time out in 2019, beating Ferrari team-mate Charles Leclerc to claim his final victory for the Scuderia - and his most recent win in F1.
Max Verstappen could theoretically win the F1 title this weekend if results go his way, but the Dutchman has admitted that it would be "unrealistic" to wrap it up before Japan. Carlos Sainz topped Friday practice for Ferrari held in dry and hot conditions.
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There was some late drama for Russell as he was another to go straight on at the end, while Tsunoda came perilously close to the barriers.
So, that was a mad 30 minutes after the track finally went green! In case you've lost track of all that, Leclerc beats Verstappen by half a second with Sainz another 0.5s back in third. The top six is then completed by Alonso, Perez and Stroll.
Oh, and Stroll is the final improver as he jumps up to sixth.
Yellow flag
There's a late yellow flag hampering any further improvements as Gasly goes straight on at the Turn 18 left-hander.
Yes, is the answer to that! Alonso has just jumped up to fourth right at the finish, while Vettel is seventh.
Checkered flag
And that's it, the chequered flag is out! Will there be any final improvements?
Now, that's more like it from Hamilton as he climbs to sixth. Russell, still on the wets, is now 14th.
Perez has closed the gap to Leclerc and Verstappen to six tenths now - but Leclerc then improves again by 1.1s!
Race control has confirmed that Haas' tyre blunder with Schumacher earlier will be investigated as an unsafe release.
Hamilton's first proper lap, with less than five minutes to go, puts him down in 19th. Team-mate Russell is 18th, but bizarrely still on the full wets - the only driver not having swapped to inters.
This time, Verstappen can't beat the Ferrari and is 0.1s adrift with his latest effort. Sainz is next best, but some 1.5s behind.
Albon joins his Williams team-mate in going straight on, while Leclerc's battle with Verstappen results in him going fastest again!
Alonso briefly climbed to third but is now shuffled back as Perez and Gasly both improve - this is looking like a strong session from the AlphaTauri man.
Stopwatch
But Verstappen instantly responds and is the first to break the two-minute barrier! He goes 1.5s quicker than Leclerc, as drivers are making huge lap time gains
Stopwatch
We have a new table-topper! Leclerc goes fastest by 1.1s on his inters with a 2m00.983s.
Verstappen improves again but Sainz is now just one tenth adrift - while the two Mercedes drivers are yet to set a representative time.
Alex now reports that Norris has indeed attempted to take the Turn 2 kerb and had a massive slide! But, apparently, he saved it well.
There's drama in the Haas pit as Schumacher heads off with one of the tyres not properly attached - thankfully, the team lets him know in time and he stops to get it secured.
Here's an observation from our man trackside, ALEX KALINAUCKAS:
"Norris is hitting the Turn 1 apex kerb harder than anyone else. It unsettles the McLaren but hasn’t put him in danger of spinning yet. No one is chancing the Turn 2 kerbs and AstroTurf yet. Wisely!"
Leclerc's opening effort puts him fourth, but 1.3s slower than leader Verstappen.
Gasly now closes to within 0.2s of Verstappen, while Perez is now half a second adrift in third.
Stopwatch
And Verstappen has now improved to a 2m03.272s to go over two seconds faster than anyone else! Magnussen has also gone third.
Replays also show a huge snap Verstappen had to contend with but he caught the slide and prevented a collision with the wall.
But a reminder of the danger these conditions provide comes in the form of Latifi locking up and going straight on at Turn 13. Latifi says there is a problem with his steering.
Stopwatch
Clearly conditions are suitable for the inters as Verstappen goes two seconds faster than Sainz, with Gasly then going almost a second quicker.
Stopwatch
Times will continue to tumble now as conditions improve. Schumacher is the next to go top, but is quickly bettered by Sainz on a 2m08.662s
Early pacesetter Gasly has also pitted for the inters, while Perez and Leclerc also now head out on the green-walled rubber.
Stopwatch
Norris now shoots to the top of the times with a 2m09.642s
Ricciardo has set a time about a second slower than Gasly as the drivers continue to get to grips with the wet track.
Oh, here we go! World champion Verstappen is the first to brave the intermediates! This could be interesting...
Sainz and the Mercedes drivers have just headed out but have not taken Bottas's advice and have opted for the full wets.
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Wow, Bottas is impressed by the track conditions. "I actually think the inters might be better," he says on the radio.
Stopwatch
Gasly is the first one to post a lap time and it's a 2m09.894s - some 27 seconds off yesterday's pace. It's pretty wet, in other words!
And now the floodgates are beginning to open with Ricciardo, Stroll, Zhou and Vettel also venturing out
But, just as we type that, the Japanese does indeed head out! We've now reached the dizzying heights of three cars out on track with Bottas also joining the fray
Nobody else has yet joined Gasly to help him clear the standing water - not even team-mate Tsunoda!
Spray is pouring off the rear of the AlphaTauri as he heads onto his outlap and there are a few twitches from the Frenchman
And someone has blinked! It's Pierre Gasly - who heads out on the full wets
It's a game of brinkmanship now as no-one wants to be the first one to brave the treacherous conditions!
No-one yet venturing out but more and more drivers appear to be getting ready to enter their cars.
By: autosport.com
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