Piastri tops chaotic Singapore GP FP2 as Norris crashes in pitlane

Piastri set the benchmark time of 1m30.714s, edging the surprising Isack Hadjar into second and Max Verstappen into third.

It was Norris, however, who caused the most drama after a collision with the Ferrari of Charles Leclerc.

Exiting the McLaren pits after the session’s second red flag, Norris expected a clear path but was released directly into Leclerc’s car.

The McLaren veered to avoid the collision but slammed into the pit wall, damaging the front wing and requiring both Ferrari and McLaren mechanics to wheel him back to the garage. The incident has been flagged for investigation by the stewards.

It was one of three major incidents in the session, with slightly cooler Singapore conditions once again greeting the drivers under the lights.

George Russell caused the first red flag by locking up and crashing into the barrier at Turn 16. The Mercedes sustained front wing damage and a puncture, with Russell describing the incident over the radio as “weird.”

He returned to the pits but did not run again, meaning no soft-tyre work for qualifying preparation, having not used the compound during FP1.

The second red flag came when Liam Lawson lost the rear of his Racing Bulls car at the final corner, ripping off a tyre and coming to a halt at the pit entrance in a shower of sparks. Lawson emerged unscathed, with a ten-minute stoppage needed to clear debris.

His teammate Hadjar meanwhile impressed in second, finishing just 0.1s behind Piastri. Fernando Alonso continued his strong pace from FP1, finishing fourth, also within a tenth of the leader. Lance Stroll backed up Aston Martin’s speed with sixth, setting the fastest final sector of the session and split by the McLaren of Norris.

The session was topsy-turvy, with several drivers showing pace as the track rubbered in.

Just before the second red flag, the Haas of Esteban Ocon vaulted to the top on soft tyres, with teammate Oliver Bearman also showing speed.

Ocon ended seventh, his second top-ten finish of the day, while Bearman finished 12th, the last driver within a second of Piastri’s best time.

Carlos Sainz claimed another top-ten finish on Friday, ending eighth, ahead of Ferrari’s Leclerc in ninth and Lewis Hamilton in 10th.

With conditions expected to remain stable, FP2 sets up an intriguing qualifying session tomorrow, with several teams showing potential for a mixed grid.

Cars return for FP3 on Saturday at 5.30pm local time (7.30pm AEST).