Verstappen fastest in first practice for Singapore GP

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen posted the fastest time in Friday's first practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen was 0.167 seconds quicker than Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel while championship leader Lewis Hamilton was third fastest.

Mercedes driver Hamilton heads into Sunday's night race with a 63-point lead over teammate Valtteri Bottas, who was fourth fastest.

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands chats with his crew member during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

Bottas hit the wall at the exit of Turn 19, bringing out the red flag with 25 minutes left in the session.

The 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) Marina Bay street circuit is one of the hardest tracks for overtaking in F1, so whoever takes pole on Saturday will have the upper hand. The driver leading the field has won eight times in the past 10 years.

Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, who won the previous two races, had problems shifting gears through Turns 18 and 19. He was able to coast back to the pit lane — where his car was retrieved by Ferrari mechanics — but did not return to the track and finished 19th.

Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas of Finland steers his car out of the pit-lane during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

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Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain pulls out of his garage during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain pulls out of his garage during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain prepares for the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain pulls out of his garage during the first practice session at the Marina Bay City Circuit ahead of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix in Singapore, Friday, Sept. 20, 2019. (AP PhotoVincent Thian)

DETROIT (AP) — The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard.

General Motors confirmed Thursday that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles.

The midsize sedan was once the top-selling segment in the U.S., a stalwart of family garages nationwide. But its sales started to decline in the early 2000s as the SUV became more prominent and pickup truck sales grew.

Now the U.S. auto market is dominated by SUVs and trucks. Full-size pickups from Ford, Chevrolet and Ram are the top selling vehicles in America, and the top-selling non pickup is Toyota's RAV4 small SUV.

Last year midsize cars made up only 8% of U.S. new vehicle sales, but it was 22% as recently as 2007, according to Motorintelligence.com. Still, Americans bought 1.3 million of the cars last year in a segment dominated by the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord.

GM sold just over 130,000 Malibus last year, 8.5% fewer than in 2022. Sales rose to nearly 230,000 after a redesign for the 2016 model year, but much of those were at low profits to rental car companies.

But the midsize car segment made a bit of a comeback last year with sales up almost 5%.

GM said it sold over 10 million Malibus, making nine generations since its debut.

GM's factory in Kansas City, Kansas, which now makes the Malibu and the Cadillac XT4 small SUV, will stop making the Malibu in November and the XT4 in January. The plant will get a $390 million retooling to make a new version of the Chevrolet Bolt small electric car.

The plant will begin producing the Bolt and XT4 on the same assembly line in late 2025, giving the plant the flexibility to respond to customer demands, the company said.

The Wall Street Journal reported the demise of the Malibu on Wednesday.

FILE - The 2016 Chevrolet Malibu Hybrid is introduced at the New York International Auto Show, April 1, 2015. The Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard. General Motors confirmed Thursday, May 9, 2024, that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews, File)

FILE - A 1965 Chevrolet Malibu is displayed at the company's booth during Guangzhou 2013 Auto Show in China's southern city of Guangzhou, Nov. 21, 2013. The Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard. General Motors confirmed Thursday, May 9, 2024, that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung, File)

FILE - A Chevrolet logo is shown at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Sept. 13, 2023. The Chevrolet Malibu, the last midsize car made by a Detroit automaker, is heading for the junkyard. General Motors confirmed Thursday, May 9, 2024, that it will stop making the car introduced in 1964 as the company focuses more on electric vehicles. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, file)