If you tuned in to Singapore’s FP2 expecting a gentle Friday night warm-up, you must be new here. The Marina Bay Circuit, with its neon-lit glamour and reputation for drama, delivered a session that was less “data gathering” and more “survival of the fittest.” Oscar Piastri emerged as the unlikely hero, but not before the session chewed up and spat out some of the grid’s biggest names—and egos.
The Night the Walls Closed In
Singapore’s FP2 has always been a magnet for chaos. Since the inaugural night race in 2008, the session has seen everything from rookie errors to championship-defining crashes. Tonight, the ghosts of FP2 past seemed to haunt the circuit with particular enthusiasm.
Within minutes, George Russell’s Mercedes found the wall at Turn 16, snapping his front wing and bringing out the first of two red flags.
A bit of a weird one to be honest. I’m not too sure what happened. I braked a bit earlier, went in a bit slower, but lost the rear. Thankfully I went in front-end on and didn’t do too much damage but it was game over. A bit annoying, sorry to the team for that, but better it happened today than tomorrow.
George Russell
Not to be outdone, Liam Lawson’s Racing Bulls car soon followed suit, tagging the concrete at Turn 17 and parking itself at the pit entry. Another red flag, another round of mechanics staring at screens and shaking their heads.
Pit Lane Pantomime: Leclerc vs. Norris
Just as the session threatened to settle, the pit lane decided to join the party. Charles Leclerc, released into the path of Lando Norris, managed to nudge the McLaren into the pit wall, damaging Norris’s front wing and triggering a stewards’ investigation. Norris, who dominated last year’s Singapore Grand Prix, was left to rue a “difficult day” and a car that felt nothing like the one he’d danced to victory twelve months ago.
He just drove straight into me.
Lando Norris
Ferrari, for their part, were handed a €10,000 fine for the unsafe release. In a season where the Scuderia’s pit lane choreography has often resembled a particularly avant-garde ballet, this was just another misstep.
Piastri’s Redemption Arc
Amid the carnage, Oscar Piastri kept his head. The Australian, still smarting from a nightmare weekend in Baku, delivered a lap of 1m30.714s to top the session. It was a statement, not just to the paddock but to himself. After all, Singapore is a circuit that rewards precision and punishes bravado—a place where the line between hero and zero is measured in millimeters.
Piastri’s performance was all the more impressive given the compressed running. With over a third of the session lost to red flags, drivers had precious little time to find the limit. Yet, as the clock ticked down, Piastri found the sweet spot, edging out rookie sensation Isack Hadjar by just 0.132s and Max Verstappen by 0.143s.
Oscar’s quick so I’ve got nothing to complain about bar just not doing a very good job.
Lando Norris
For those who missed the action, the official F1 highlights are worth a watch: FP2 Highlights: 2025 Singapore Grand Prix – F1.
The Standings: Who Survived the Storm?
Here’s how the top 20 shook out after a session that felt more like a demolition derby than a data run:
| Position | Driver | Team | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oscar Piastri | McLaren | 1m30.714s | — |
| 2 | Isack Hadjar | Racing Bulls | 1m30.846s | +0.132s |
| 3 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull | 1m30.857s | +0.143s |
| 4 | Fernando Alonso | Aston Martin | 1m30.877s | +0.163s |
| 5 | Lando Norris | McLaren | 1m31.197s | +0.483s |
| 6 | Lance Stroll | Aston Martin | 1m31.222s | +0.508s |
| 7 | Esteban Ocon | Haas | 1m31.298s | +0.584s |
| 8 | Carlos Sainz | Williams | 1m31.299s | +0.585s |
| 9 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari | 1m31.466s | +0.752s |
| 10 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari | 1m31.491s | +0.777s |
| 11 | Yuki Tsunoda | Red Bull | 1m31.708s | +0.994s |
| 12 | Oliver Bearman | Haas | 1m31.711s | +0.997s |
| 13 | Alex Albon | Williams | 1m32.060s | +1.346s |
| 14 | Nico Hulkenberg | Sauber | 1m32.069s | +1.355s |
| 15 | Gabriel Bortoleto | Sauber | 1m32.319s | +1.605s |
| 16 | Pierre Gasly | Alpine | 1m32.458s | +1.744s |
| 17 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls | 1m32.645s | +1.931s |
| 18 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes | 1m32.719s | +2.005s |
| 19 | Franco Colapinto | Alpine | 1m33.139s | +2.425s |
| 20 | George Russell | Mercedes | 1m33.231s | +2.517s |
Source: Crash.net FP2 Results
Rookie Revelations and Veteran Woes
Isack Hadjar’s P2 finish was the stuff of rookie dreams. The Racing Bulls driver, in his first Singapore outing, looked utterly unfazed by the circuit’s reputation for chewing up newcomers. Meanwhile, Max Verstappen—still chasing his first win at Marina Bay—was quietly efficient, but the gap to Piastri will give Red Bull’s engineers a sleepless night or two.
Fernando Alonso, who topped FP1, continued to defy the passage of time with a P4 finish. The Spaniard’s ability to extract performance from any car, on any circuit, remains one of the sport’s enduring mysteries. Lance Stroll, Esteban Ocon, and Carlos Sainz rounded out a top eight that looked more like a game of musical chairs than a pecking order.
Lewis Hamilton, running mediums while others switched to softs, finished tenth.
It has generally been a good day, I have enjoyed driving the car. Obviously, McLaren’s very fast and getting a clean lap is not easy but I feel like there’s lots of positives to take from today, lots of learnings and quite happy with the progress we’ve made from session to session.
Lewis Hamilton
History Repeats Itself—With a Twist
If you’re experiencing déjà vu, you’re not alone. Singapore’s FP2 has a long history of drama: from Adrian Sutil’s crash in 2010 to Lance Stroll’s wall-bashing in 2023, the session has always been a test of nerve and concentration. Red flags, pit lane chaos, and rookie heroics are as much a part of the Marina Bay tradition as the illuminated skyline.
But tonight’s session felt particularly charged. Perhaps it’s the championship pressure, perhaps it’s the ever-narrowing margins at the top, or perhaps it’s just the circuit’s way of reminding us that, in Singapore, nothing comes easy.
The Human Cost of Perfection
Behind the numbers and the headlines, tonight’s FP2 was a reminder of the human element in Formula 1. For every Piastri who finds redemption, there’s a Norris left searching for answers. For every rookie who dazzles, there’s a veteran left licking his wounds. And for every team that celebrates a clean session, there’s another writing a cheque for a new front wing.
As the teams pore over their data and the drivers nurse their bruised egos, one thing is certain: qualifying tomorrow will be anything but predictable. In Singapore, the only guarantee is that the walls are always closer than they appear.
Waste a Bit More Time
If you’re still hungry for more chaos, controversy, and commentary, here are a few links to keep you entertained:
- FP2: Piastri sets the pace in disrupted Singapore second practice
- Singapore GP: Oscar Piastri tops chaotic second practice as Charles Leclerc hits Lando Norris in pit lane
- FP2 Highlights: 2025 Singapore Grand Prix – F1
- LIVE: F1 Singapore GP updates – Lando Norris and Charles Leclerc crash in pits as FP2 resumes | Live text
- 2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix – Free Practice 2 results
