Briton Lewis Hamilton topped the times in Friday’s delayed, curtailed opening free practice session ahead of tomorrow’s Singapore Grand Prix.
The 26-year-old threw his McLaren around the floodlit street circuit to produce a best lap time of one minute and 48.599 seconds, finishing half a second ahead of championship chasing Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull.
Vettel, who needs a victory and other drivers to fail to finish among the leaders if he is to take his second title tomorrow, revelled in his duel with Hamilton as the pair traded fastest laps in an ultimately absorbing session.
The pair met on their respective flights to Singapore and Hamilton set up the weekend’s competition with a different kind of sports challenge for his younger rival.
“I asked him if he played golf, because I would happily play golf with him,” said Hamilton. “Maybe we should meet up on the autobahn in the same car. Then we’ll see how it goes.”
Briton Jenson Button was fifth in the second McLaren ahead of Brazilian Felipe Massa in the second Ferrari, German Adrian Sutil of Force India and his compatriot seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, 42, in the leading Mercedes.
The start of the session was delayed by half an hour for track repairs to parts of loose curbing on the Marina Bay circuit. The session was then reduced to one hour instead of 90 minutes.
How Vettel can take the title tomorrow
Meanwhile, Vettel will retain the Formula One drivers’ world championship title this weekend if he finishes the Singapore Grand Prix with a lead of at least 125 points over the chasing pack.
To clinch his second title, Vettel must increase his lead over closest rival Fernando Alonso from 112 points to 125 and enlarge his 117-point lead over Button and Webber to the same margin.
If Alonso finishes on the podium, in any position, or if Vettel is beaten by any of his rivals, the championship will not be won in Singapore.
He also has to keep his 126 points lead ahead of Hamilton, or at worst not let it slip by more than one point.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 24th, 2011.
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