Ricciardo tops FP1 as Red Bull leads the way

©WRI2

Red Bull drew first blood in Singapore as Daniel Ricciardo topped the timesheet in the weekend's first free practice session.

Full Results:

Pos	Driver	Team	Time	Gap	Laps
1	Daniel Ricciardo	Red Bull	1:42.489s		21
2	Sebastian Vettel	Ferrari	1:42.598s	+ 0.109s	21
3	Max Verstappen	Red Bull	1:42.610s	+ 0.121s	23
4	Lewis Hamilton	Mercedes	1:42.904s	+ 0.415s	27
5	Sergio Pérez	Force India	1:43.423s	+ 0.934s	25
6	Valtteri Bottas	Mercedes	1:43.434s	+ 0.945s	27
7	Kimi Räikkönen	Ferrari	1:43.734s	+ 1.245s	25
8	Fernando Alonso	McLaren	1:43.759s	+ 1.270s	19
9	Nico Hülkenberg	Renault	1:44.101s	+ 1.612s	24
10	Daniil Kvyat	Toro Rosso	1:44.220s	+ 1.731s	25
11	Stoffel Vandoorne	McLaren	1:44.340s	+ 1.851s	25
12	Jolyon Palmer	Renault	1:44.961s	+ 2.472s	25
13	Esteban Ocon	Force India	1:45.053s	+ 2.564s	25
14	Felipe Massa	Williams	1:45.084s	+ 2.595s	27
15	Romain Grosjean	Haas	1:46.456s	+ 3.967s	20
16	Antonio Giovinazzi	Haas	1:46.782s	+ 4.293s	27
17	Lance Stroll	Williams	1:47.190s	+ 4.701s	11
18	Sean Gelael	Toro Rosso	1:47.570s	+ 5.081s	26
19	Marcus Ericsson	Sauber	1:47.699s	+ 5.210s	23
20	Pascal Wehrlein	Sauber	1:47.886s	+ 5.397s	24

The Aussie edged out Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel by 0.10s and team mate Max Verstappen by 0.12s, while Lewis Hamilton almost half a second adrift in P4.

The session got underway on a track which was still damp in several areas following afternoon shower, with kerbs holding a fair amount of water.

Drivers were therefore slow to get their work session underway, but Mercedes eventually got down to business with Hamilton leading the way, followed by a competitive looking Red Bull pair.

Verstappen lost no time in claiming the top spot from Mercedes on hi second set of ultrasoft tyres, but as the session progressed, Ricciardo upped the pace came into his own, set the quickest time and a new lap record with a 1:42.489.

Behind Hamilton, Sergio Perez put in a strong effort, ending the session P5 for Force India, but the man right behind the Mexican was anything but happy with his performance.

Valtteri Bottas appeared troubled throughout the initial session, complaining of his Mercedes W08's unstable rear end which he labeled as "undriveable".

Kimi Raikkonen was 1.2s off the fastest time, just beating Fernando Alonso to P7. The McLaren man put in a mighty lap but still struggled with power unit issues during the 90-minute session.

Nico Hulkenberg and Dani Kvyat rounded out the top ten for Renault and Toro Rosso while rookie Sean Gelael kept himself in check with a clean session and a P18 result.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.