Singapore GP 2012

SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

Practice 1 Report - Vettel quickest in first Singapore session

Sebastian Vettel, Singapore GP 2012
©  Active Pictures

Sebastian Vettel, always a threat around Singapore's Marina Bay circuit, got his weekend off to a good start with quickest time in the first session of free practice.

The double champion, currently fourth in this year's title chase and 39 points adrift of series leader Fernando Alonso, lapped his Red Bull RB8 in 1:50.566, five hundredths quicker than form man Lewis Hamilton's McLaren MP4/27 (1:50.615).

The session commenced with a wet track after heavy rain, but dried out midway through, allowing the drivers to go onto slicks.

Vettel and Hamilton finished the session comfortably clear of Jenson Button's Mclaren (1:51.459), Fernando Alonso's Ferrari (1:51.525), Pastor Maldonado's Williams (1:51.576, Mark Webber's Red Bull (1:51.655) and Nico Hulkenberg's Force India (1:51.658) -- this quintet covered by just two tenths of a second.

Completing the top 10 were Paul Di Resta's Force India (1:51.943), Daniel Ricciardo's Toro Rosso (1:52.275) and Sergio Perez's Sauber (1:52.296).

Many predict that with the lower downforce races at Spa and Monza now behind us, the higher downforce requirements of the Singapore street track will see a 'reset' of the pecking order, with Red Bull expected to return to a position of strong competitiveness.