During the first practice session, Qin Miao was exploring the limits of the new race car while also familiarizing himself with the Marina Bay track, a circuit with which he had no prior experience.
Meanwhile, Hamilton immediately began conducting long-distance single lap speed tests.
With only 20 minutes remaining in the first practice session, Hamilton clocked a lap time of 1:42.598 using a set of soft tires, which was 0.4 seconds faster than the second-placed Verstappen.
Though Verstappen was using medium tires, Hamilton's performance thus far demonstrated that Mercedes' improvements and adjustments to the car had indeed revitalized his condition.
At the end of the first practice session, Qin Miao's lap times were quite decent, although not as fast as Hamilton's and Verstappen's.
