\n<\/p>\n
Verstappen was also censured by governing body the FIA for swearing in Thursday’s official news conference. He has been ordered to “accomplish some work of public interest”.<\/p>\n
Singapore was the only race last year where Red Bull failed to win as they put together the most dominant season in F1 history.<\/p>\n
The team arrived in Singapore expecting to struggle, as they fight a rearguard battle against Norris and McLaren in the championship.<\/p>\n
Verstappen, who won seven of the first 10 grands prix of the season, has not won for seven races.<\/p>\n
Singapore, therefore, could provide Norris with an opportunity to make significant inroads into Verstappen\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n
But he is wary of the pace of Ferrari, and especially Leclerc, who won from pole in Monaco in May and narrowly lost out to Norris\u2019 team-mate Oscar Piastri in Baku last weekend.<\/p>\n
Norris said: \u201cCharles is very good at street circuits, we have seen in Baku and Monaco what he\u2019s capable of doing. I felt like I got a lot out of Friday. We\u2019re in a good place and if we can keep it up, I\u2019ll be happy.\u201d<\/p>\n
Leclerc said: \u201cIt felt good but there is still some work to be done, the car didn\u2019t exactly feel like I wanted so we still have to try and improve it and of course the forecast of the rest of the weekend is a little up and down.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo we will have to adapt very quickly so we cannot rely on a good Friday, but it\u2019s been a good Friday and it\u2019s always better to have a good one than a bad one.\u201d<\/p>\n
The one-lap pace was mirrored by that on a race simulation, with Norris and Leclerc looking the class of the field.<\/p>\n
Russell, who took his front wing off when he nosed into the barriers at Turn Eight after locking a wheel with less than five minutes remaining in the second session, was 0.761secs off the pace and Hamilton 0.982secs adrift of Norris.<\/p>\n
Hamilton said: \u201cThe car feels very difficult. A very challenging day. We have tried everything set-up wise and nothing seems to work.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are giving it everything and then find out we\u2019re a second off. Ultimately a little bit lost at the moment and not really sure where to put the car. At the moment, we won\u2019t be going into Q3.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ferrari\u2019s Carlos Sainz was third fastest, 0.629secs off the pace, followed by RB\u2019s Yuki Tsunoda and McLaren\u2019s Oscar Piastri.<\/p>\n
Russell said: \u201cThere are a lot of surprises out there. The RBs really quick, the Williams really quick. The Red Bulls seem off the pace and there seems to be a big gap to the McLarens and Ferraris. We have a lot of work to do.\u201d<\/p>\n
An hour and a half after practice finished, Singapore was hit by heavy rain and intermittent rain is forecast for the rest of the weekend.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n