Alonso on top in first Singapore session

Scuderia Ferrari

Ferrari's Fernando Alonso set the fastest time during the first practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Alonso's time of 1:49.056 was 0.122s faster than Mercedes's Lewis Hamilton, with Nico Rosberg in third position.

The session began in twilight and several drivers enjoyed spells at the top of the times as the light faded around the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

Hamilton topped the times early on, before Rosberg and Kimi Raikkonen lowered the benchmark. Alonso then went fastest on Prime tyres and his time was not trumped across the remainder of the session.

Reigning world champion Sebastian Vettel clipped the wall on the exit of turn 21 but continued and went fourth quickest, while Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo was close behind in fifth position.

Vettel's session, though, ended with the German stopping at the pit exit just after the chequered flag came out, with the driver reporting an engine failure.

Jean-Eric Vergne set the sixth best time despite being beset by problems as his session ended early due to an ERS failure, prompting an angry Vergne to storm to the back of the Toro Rosso garage.

Raikkonen ended in seventh place with his brakes on fire as he returned to the Ferrari garage, while Jenson Button was eighth even after spending much of the first half of the session in the pits.

Daniil Kvyat and Sergio Perez completed the top 10 positions.