1. Lando Norris (McLaren) - 1:32.493

2. Max Verstappen (Red Bull) +0.021

3. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin) +0.099 - medium tyre

4. Charles Leclerc (Ferrari) +0.107

5. Lewis Hamilton (Ferrari) +0.541

Williams have confirmed Alex Albon will take no further part in first practice following the rear brake fire but they are hoping the issue will be fixed so he can be back up and running for second practice later on.

Aston Martin have opted to run the medium compound early doors at Marina Bay. Fernando Alonso couldn't bring any points home from Azerbaijan last time out but can the higher downforce nature of the Singapore circuit suit the team better? The Spaniard is now leading the field with a time of 1:32.592, which is over four-tenths faster than the second quickest driver, Max Verstappen.

Carlos Sainz, the only Williams out on track for now, beats Lando Norris' quickest time, on the same tyre, with a 1:33.325. That time is scrubbed out, though, as title leader Oscar Piastri climbs to the top of the timesheets with a 1:33.239.

As Williams try and tackle the brake fire with multiple fire extinguishers, out on track, Lando Norris is the quickest driver so far with a 1:33.388 on the hard tyre.

This is not the start Williams - and Alex Albon - would've wanted, especially after the team's joy at team-mate Carlos Sainz's podium finish in Azerbaijan. The car is in the pit lane and still burning, and there is a lot of activity around the rear of the car.

The mechanics are desperately trying to put out this brake fire as Alex Albon is still sitting in the cockpit. The Thai-Brit driver is safely climbing out of the car now. This all happened as Albon returned to the pit lane, and he was the one to flag to his team over the radio there was a fire.

The hard tyres are bolted on across the field on these opening laps. Max Verstappen, winner in Baku, is top of the board with a 1:35.501.

There's a problem at Williams. Alex Albon's car is on fire and it looks like an issue with the brakes.

Liam Lawson is first out on track on a set of the C3 hard tyre. Sky Sports have just said he's not wearing a cooling vest in this session along with his team-mate Isack Hadjar. Yuki Tsunoda is also sans cooling vest.

The clock is ticking. First practice is open for business.

The high heat and humidity is a given during this event, but thundery showers are also lurking around Marina Bay this weekend.

Rain has been falling during daylight hours in Singapore but will the main track action, taking place at night, escape any wet conditions?

It's dry at the circuit now as first practice gets ready to go green but the humidity is high.

BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra 2

Hello to Jennie Gow, Harry Benjamin, F1 journalist Rebecca Clancy and BBC F1 correspondent Andrew Benson for Friday's practice sessions.

Commentary today is on Sports Extra 2, which is available via BBC Sounds and smart speakers, or by clicking the 'listen live' tab at the top of this page.

Pirelli has opted for the same tyre choices as last year's Singapore Grand Prix, with the C3 as the hard, the C4 as the medium and the C5 as the soft compound. The new C6 compound was ruled out by the Italian supplier as a soft option because of concerns with overheating due to the high temperatures at Marina Bay.

With thundery showers forecast, the green intermediates and the blue full wets may also be called upon.

Image source, Pirelli 2025

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Singapore

Image source, Getty Images

Temperatures in the cockpit of an F1 car can be more than 40C, and drivers are wearing several layers of fireproof clothing in addition to a balaclava and helmet, so overheating is a serious concern.

The driver wears a fireproof vest fitted with a tube through which a cooled liquid is fed by a pump.

The rules say that the system should last for the entire race, but not all teams have managed to make it run for that long.

And the complication is that when the system stops working, it can make the drivers hotter than they would otherwise have been.

That's because the vest fitted with the cooling system is an insulator and the liquid can end up hotter than the ambient temperature because of the temperature of the cars.

Teams have approached the design and fitting of the system in different ways depending on their individual cars.

Some have fitted the cooling device and pump at the front of the chassis, others by the side-impact structures beside the cockpit and others inside the chassis.

Image source, Getty Images

George Russell needed medical attention after last year's Singapore race and said he lost four kilograms due to the difficult conditions at Marina Bay.

This season. the Mercedes driver used a cooling vest at the Bahrain Grand Prix in April and gave it good feedback after the Sakhir weekend. But he did mention on Thursday a few drivers find the device uncomfortable.

"In time you'll be able to adjust it to your preferences but I think the concept is good," Russell said.

"When you're racing in 90% humidity and the cockpits are getting on for 60 degrees, it's a bit of a sauna inside the car, so I think we all welcome it."

Andrew Benson
BBC F1 correspondent in Singapore

Formula 1's governing body has declared this weekend's Singapore Grand Prix a 'heat hazard' race.

The FIA's ruling, triggered because temperatures are predicted to exceed 31C amid high humidity in the tropical environment, means drivers could be using cooling vests during the race.

Using the vests is not mandatory but teams must fit the system to their cars to ensure any drivers not using them does not gain an advantage by having a lighter car.

The Singapore Grand Prix marks the first time a race has been designated as a heat hazard under a new rule that was introduced this year.

However, it will not be the first time drivers have used the vests - teams have been testing them intermittently through the year.

The idea of a driver-cooling system was intimated after the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, when heat and humidity left several drivers on the brink of collapse.

Image source, BBC Sport

The season has reached single digits for races remaining and Oscar Piastri is still leading the way despite his miserable run in Azerbaijan. The Australian holds a 25-point advantage over second-placed Lando Norris with seven to go.

With the two McLaren team-mates missing from the podium last time out, Max Verstappen in third grabbed the opportunity to edge closer to the pair with his win from pole positon.

Meanwhile, Kimi Antonelli's fourth place in Baku has lifted the Italian rookie back above Alex Albon by eight points and into seventh spot in the standings.

Singapore presents McLaren with their second opportunity to wrap up the constructors' championship, after the team failed to secure the trophy in Azerbaijan.

To be crowned champions for a 10th time - and with six races still to go - McLaren just need to score 13 points to confirm the title.

Even if McLaren don't manage 13 points, second-placed Mercedes would need to outscore them by 31 points to keep the championship alive, while Ferrari in third need to outscore the leaders by 35 points to mathematically stay in the hunt.

Image source, BBC Sport

Lorraine McKenna
BBC Sport Journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Hello, folks. Formula 1's original night race is back again - and this year's comes with a health warning. Temperatures in Singapore this weekend have reached the threshold for the FIA to declare the race a 'heat hazard', so extra precautions can be taken by drivers to keep cool.

First practice gets under way at 10:30 BST.

Second practice goes green at 14:00 BST.

Max Verstappen secured back-to-back race wins for the first time since June last year with victory at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix two weeks ago following his triumph at Monza. The chaotic weekend in Baku was a nightmare for McLaren, as title leader Oscar Piastri crashed out on lap one and Lando Norris finished seventh.

The team do, however, get another chance to seal the constructors' championship at Marina Bay on Sunday.

Image source, Getty Images