Ferrari completed the only free practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend without introducing any new upgrades, but FP1 provided a clear indication of where the SF-26 must improve to challenge at the front. Charles Leclerc eventually finished two tenths from the benchmark, while the team’s analysis highlighted a traction deficit to Mercedes despite encouraging corner-entry performance and a significant improvement when the soft tyres were fitted.
The Maranello team arrived at round 17 of the Formula 1 season determined to maximise its opportunities after recent performances proved competitive without being sufficient to consistently fight at the very front. With the Singapore Sprint format providing only one hour of free practice, immediately understanding the SF-26 and identifying the most effective set-up became particularly important.
Ferrari studies hybrid deployment and brake settings in Singapore FP1
The nature of a Sprint weekend leaves little room for wasted time. Ferrari had only 60 minutes of unrestricted practice across the weekend, so both SF-26 cars headed onto the Marina Bay circuit immediately on Pirelli’s white-marked hard tyres. The compound offered a consistent platform from which to evaluate the car, while the hybrid system was initially running with its race mapping.
The opening lap was primarily exploratory, with Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton building confidence on an asphalt surface that was still relatively green. During the tyre-cooling lap, Ferrari immediately began making useful adjustments, including changes to the mid-corner differential and brake settings covering both brake balance and brake shaping. The pre-mapped configurations controlled through the toggles behind the steering wheel were also part of the evaluation.
While preparing for the following lap, Ferrari tested maximum hybrid power to assess energy recovery performance around the entire circuit, while the combustion engine maintained the same available power level. Sector analysis showed Charles Leclerc’s SF-26 to be quick throughout the lap, with Lewis Hamilton around two tenths behind his teammate at that stage.
Several small lock-ups nevertheless raised an early concern and prompted further work from the pit wall on brake calibration. Corner-entry speeds also remained under evaluation. Both cars subsequently passed through the pit lane for front-load adjustments, with Lewis Hamilton receiving a “plus 3” change and Charles Leclerc a “plus 2”. Their lap times were later beaten by several rivals that, at that point, appeared more comfortable with the developing Marina Bay surface.
Ferrari improves as SF-26 handling comes under scrutiny
In terms of handling, the familiar tendency towards excessive rotation also emerged at Marina Bay. The behaviour was not particularly aggressive, although both Ferrari drivers were seeking a slightly more neutral car. Confidence is especially important on a street circuit where the barriers are extremely close, and the drivers need predictable behaviour if they are to push to the limit.
Traction initially appeared relatively good, although Ferrari still had details to refine. That area is particularly important around Singapore’s slower corners, where power delivery and rear-end stability can strongly influence acceleration. The wider challenge posed by the venue can also be seen in the Marina Bay circuit characteristics Ferrari must balance between traction and speed.
Radio communication was frequent as Ferrari attempted to analyse a large number of decisive parameters in very little time before committing to the best set-up. The two cars then returned to the garage, where engineers studied the telemetry while the mechanics carried out checks. Both SF-26s retained the hard tyres for their second runs.
Testing of the hybrid system continued, and Charles Leclerc produced the fastest time in the third sector, navigating the kerbs effectively on his way to second place overall. Lewis Hamilton remained further behind and appeared to have more difficulty managing the car’s rotation through the middle of the corners.
Ferrari also evaluates race pace with higher fuel
Ferrari then moved quickly into a short race-pace simulation with a significantly heavier fuel load. The test was necessary to gain an initial understanding of how the SF-26 might behave over a 300-kilometre race distance, although Ferrari’s run programme was now offset from those of its rivals, making direct comparisons particularly difficult.
The different fuel loads, tyre conditions and run plans make practice comparisons especially sensitive, with the various stints providing more meaningful context when assessed through F1 practice and long-run data. Just as the Ferrari drivers were instructed to return to the garage, the Virtual Safety Car was deployed.
Soft tyres improve Ferrari but Mercedes retains traction advantage
On the hard compound, the SF-26 remained biased towards the front end, although this characteristic was not necessarily as limiting at Marina Bay as it can be at other circuits. The oversteer appeared to result from a combination of factors, including the way the power unit delivered its power. Telemetry indicated that Ferrari’s acceleration performance was not yet matching Mercedes.
The SF-26 tended to gain time on corner entry before losing noticeably during the acceleration phase. That pattern became one of the most important findings from the session because it pointed towards a specific area Ferrari needed to address ahead of the competitive Sprint sessions. The team’s Singapore prospects had already centred heavily on how effectively the car could exploit its characteristics at Marina Bay, an aspect also highlighted in analysis of the SF-26 traits that could benefit Ferrari in Singapore.
The soft tyres were introduced for the final stint and provided considerably more grip. Lewis Hamilton immediately appeared more comfortable and regained the confidence needed to push harder. The red-marked compound largely reduced the oversteer by giving the rear of the car significantly more grip.
Lando Norris and George Russell then moved to the front, with the two British drivers making the difference in the first and third sectors while the performance levels were much closer through the middle sector. There was still time for one final attempt, during which Charles Leclerc improved and finished around two tenths away from the fastest time. Lewis Hamilton also lowered his sector times but was unable to put together a completely clean lap.
Tyre management becomes Ferrari’s key Sprint Qualifying challenge
Overall, the SF-26 was considerably easier to manage on the softer compound. The improvement, however, did not remove Ferrari’s evident traction limitation compared with Mercedes. That deficit could become particularly significant when accelerating away from Marina Bay’s slower corners, even though the car’s strong corner-entry performance offers Ferrari a different area in which to recover lap time.
Tyre management is therefore set to become one of the decisive elements of Ferrari’s weekend. The priority will be to activate the tyres perfectly and keep them inside the correct operating window throughout the entire lap, while also refining traction and rear-end behaviour. With just one practice session completed before competitive running begins, the work carried out on hybrid deployment, braking, balance and tyre preparation will now have to translate directly into performance when Sprint Qualifying gets under way.
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