By Camille Lebez Leroy
Singapore Grand Prix Race Report
George Russell made the perfect getaway at the start in Singapore, pulling ahead cleanly as Max Verstappen tucked in behind him. The drama came from the McLarens: Lando Norris launched brilliantly, almost brushing the barriers as he went wheel-to-wheel with teammate Oscar Piastri. In the squeeze, Norris clipped Verstappen’s Red Bull and then banged wheels with Piastri, damaging his own front wing but still muscling through to third.
Piastri was cautious and gave way, but the moment left him frustrated as he asked over the radio if the team were “okay” with Norris’s aggressive move. Stewards later judged it as a standard first-lap incident, leaving McLaren to deal with the political fallout themselves.
While the papaya cars were fighting, Russell quietly built a gap at the front. Verstappen sat second, with Norris and an irritated Piastri behind. Leclerc held fifth ahead of Antonelli and Hamilton, while Alonso, Hadjar and Bearman completed the top ten.
Norris, despite his broken front wing, kept close to Verstappen, with McLaren weighing whether to pit early or gamble on tyre life. Further back, Bortoleto clipped the wall and needed a new wing, while Colapinto and Tsunoda ditched their softs for longer stints on hards. Ocon, meanwhile, reported brake issues, a worrying sign in the sweltering Singapore heat.
As the laps ticked by, Russell extended his lead to nearly nine seconds, comfortably out of undercut range. McLaren twice bluffed pit stops to pressure Red Bull, but it was Verstappen who blinked first, pitting for hard tyres in a slightly slow stop. Norris stayed out but eventually lost track position to the Dutchman, though with fresher tyres in hand.
The pit cycle left Russell leading Verstappen, with Norris third and Piastri fourth. Leclerc, Antonelli and Hamilton followed, but the seven-time champion’s stop was slow, and later he faced brake troubles that hampered his fight back. Verstappen, despite gearbox issues and a twitchy rear end, began reeling Russell in before a heavy lock-up cost him dearly and sent him sliding close to the barriers.
The final stages saw Russell manage traffic calmly, while Verstappen defended hard against a charging Norris. The McLaren man got close but never found a way through, Verstappen using DRS from backmarkers to keep himself safe.
Piastri closed in slightly but remained in fourth, unable to join the podium fight. Further back, Antonelli impressed by overtaking Leclerc for fifth, while Sainz recovered to snatch the final point from Hadjar.
At the flag, Russell claimed his second win of the season and fifth of his career, delivering a faultless drive despite early steering concerns. Verstappen finished second after a gritty defensive display, with Norris third and Piastri fourth.
Behind them, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Lawson, Bearman and Sainz rounded out the points.
The result secured McLaren their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship with six races still to run, though Norris and Piastri’s tense relationship will be a hot topic in the days ahead. Russell, meanwhile, could hardly have chosen a better stage to remind Mercedes of his value in ongoing contract talks.
WHEEL2WHEEL REPORTS 