Ricciardo sizzles in Singapore

The Australian’s time of one minute 42.489 seconds was a new record and he ended the session 0.109 seconds ahead of Ferrari’s Vettel. Championship leader Lewis Hamilton, who is seeking his third successive victory, was fourth behind Ricciardo’s team mate Max Verstappen. He was 0.415 seconds off Ricciardo’s pace. 

The Briton, who seized the overall lead from title-rival Vettel after leading Mercedes team mate Valtteri Bottas to a one-two finish in Monza, is expecting a less straightforward weekend in Singapore. The tight twists of the circuit are expected to play to Ferrari’s strengths, with the Italian outfit dominant at similar layouts in Monaco and Hungary earlier in the year. Red Bull is also hoping the circuit masks the power deficiencies of their Tag Heuer-badged Renault engine.