Alonso Leads Opening Practice at Marina Bay
Singapore Grand Prix
3-5 October includes the race kicking off at 13:00 BST on Sunday.
Live commentary available on radio channels and BBC Sport.
Opening Round Overview
The team's Fernando Alonso topped the times beating Scuderia star and Dutch ace during the opening session for the Marina Bay race.
McLaren's drivers Australian rookie and Lando Norris wrapped up the run in fifth and sixth.
Piastri was 0.217 seconds speedier than Norris.
Alonso was a slim margin leading of the Ferrari driver and over a quarter of a second clear than the Red Bull star.
Ferrari's seven-time champion was P4.
Weekend Outlook
Few anticipate that Aston Martin will be contenders for P1.
That said, the outfit are hopeful of a improved performance on a low-speed track that is more suited to their chassis, which excels when significant amounts of aerodynamic grip are required.
Double world title winner Alonso is also renowned as a street circuit master, and often shines on the Marina Bay street track.
However he was probably using less fuel or a increased power than his competitors, or both, to post the fastest lap.
Team Updates
Partner Canadian racer was a significant margin slower in the lower order.
The Canadian had problems with his cockpit at the start and was also evaluating new components.
Opening practice in Singapore is not representative of conditions later in the weekend as it is conducted in bright conditions in the daytime, while grid-deciding session and the main event are run under floodlights.
Points Situation
Piastri is ahead of his teammate by a quarter-century with the final stretch left entering the Grand Prix in the Lion City.
The Woking-based team are poised to clinch the manufacturers' crown on race day.
Single possibility they can miss out in Singapore is if the Silver Arrows outscore them by over thirty or Ferrari do so by 35.
Rival Teams
The energy drink brand's team are optimistic of a good performance after Verstappen's victories in the previous rounds ahead of this Grand Prix.
They were relieved when precipitation falling prior to running cleared by the time the vehicles took to the track on a surface that had not been wet.
Senior figure Red Bull's advisor stated prior to running that they required a dry hour to make a comprehensive start on fine-tuning their set-up for the weekend.
