Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen surprisingly had to admit defeat to record champion Lewis Hamilton in the first practice session before the Singapore Grand Prix.

The Dutch Red Bull driver was 0.084 seconds behind the Mercedes star from Great Britain on his 25th birthday on Friday. Behind Verstappen, Charles Leclerc in a Ferrari finished third on the narrow street circuit in Asia. Sebastian Vettel was eleventh in the Aston Martin, Mick Schumacher was eighteenth in his Haas racing car.

If Verstappen wins again on Sunday (2 p.m. / Sky), he can complete the successful title defense early on and become world champion for the second time. However, he has to keep his main competitor Leclerc and his stable rival Sergio Perez at a distance. Before the 17th of 22 rounds of the season, Verstappen leads Leclerc with 116 points. After the Grand Prix, he would need a lead of 138 points to make the decision. Otherwise, the decision will be postponed to next week in Japan.