George Russell topped the timesheets in the first and only practice session at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver set a time of 1:32.274 on the soft tyre, just under two-tenths quicker than Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc.
McLaren’s Lando Norris rounded out the top three, with Lewis Hamilton in fourth in what was hazy conditions in daylight around the Marina Bay Circuit.
Oscar Piastri in the other McLaren finished fifth-fastest, half a second off the leader’s pace.
Red Bull’s Max Verstappen, who claimed his first win of the season last weekend at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, crossed the line in sixth.
A yellow flag was waved in the closing stages of the session after Kimi Antonelli went off at Turn 16, but he managed to get going again. The Italian youngster finished down the order in seventh.
Antonelli is running the upgraded Mercedes specification this weekend as he bids to extend his lead in the drivers’ championship, while Russell has reverted to the previous package.
But despite Russell going quickest in first practice, he will start Sunday’s race at the back of the grid due to an engine penalty.
Verstappen’s teammate Isack Hadjar finished in eighth and reported on the team radio that he had no confidence in the car.
Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson were ninth and 10th respectively.
Singapore makes its sprint weekend debut and qualifying for Saturday’s sprint race goes green at 1.30 p.m. BST / 8.30 a.m. ET.