McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton established himself as the man to beat at the Singapore Grand Prix by setting the fastest time under the lights in Friday practice.
In Formula One’s first ever night practice sessions, the overall championship leader clocked a best time of 1.45.518 in the first session around the 5.067 kilometre downtown street circuit.
Hamilton is one point ahead of Ferrari’s Felipe Massa in the drivers’ standings with four races to go, and edged his Brazilian rival by less than a tenth of a second for best time over the two 90-minute sessions.
The Finn had seemed set to topple Hamilton late in the hour-and-a-half session, but a wobble in the last corner, Turn 23, hamstrung that lap and another subsequently quick one also fell apart before its conclusion.
Heikki Kovalainen took fourth place for McLaren on 1m 46.463s ahead of Robert Kubica’s BMW Sauber (1m 46.618s), Nico Rosberg’s Williams (1m 46.710s), Fernando Alonso’s Renault (1m 46.725s), Nick Heidfeld’s BMW Sauber (1m 46.964s), Nelson Piquet’s Renault (1m 47.175s) and Jenson Button’s Honda (1m 47.277s).
| 
|