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Image source, Getty Images
By
F1 Correspondent in Singapore
Singapore Grand Prix
3-5 October, with race from 13:00 BST on Sunday
Live commentary on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and Sports Extra 2; live text updates on BBC Sport website and app
Aston Martin's Fernando Alonso set the pace from Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and Red Bull's Max Verstappen in first practice at the Singapore Grand Prix.
McLaren's title rivals Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris finished the session fifth and sixth. Piastri was 0.217 seconds quicker than Norris.
Alonso was 0.150secs ahead of Leclerc and 0.276secs clear of Verstappen. Ferrari's Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest.
It is not expected that Aston Martin will be contenders for pole position. However, the team are optimistic of a better weekend on a low-speed track that is more suited to their car, which runs more competitively when high levels of downforce are required.
Two-time champion Alonso is also renowned as a Singapore specialist, and usually excels on the Marina Bay street track. But he was likely running less fuel or a higher engine mode than his rivals, or both, to set such a quick time.
His team-mate Lance Stroll was 1.918secs slower in 18th place.
The first session in Singapore is not representative of conditions later in the weekend as it is run in daylight in late afternoon, while qualifying and the race are held after dark.
Piastri leads Norris by 25 points with seven races to go heading into the weekend in Singapore, while McLaren are poised to clinch the constructors' championship on Sunday.
The only way they can not tie it up in Singapore is if Mercedes outscore them by 31 points or Ferrari do so by 35.
Red Bull are optimistic of a positive weekend after Verstappen's victories in Monza and Baku leading into this weekend, and were relieved when light rain falling before the session abated by the time the cars went out on a track that had remained dry.
Motorsport adviser Helmut Marko said before the session that they needed a dry hour to make a comprehensive start on understanding their set-up for the weekend.
