Singapore GP talking points: George Russell comes full circle while McLaren tensions overshadow triumph

The Singapore Grand Prix remains Formula One’s most punishing race. The heat sits thick in the air, the cockpit feels like an oven, and drivers emerge drenched and drained after two hours of concentration. The Marina Bay circuit allows little margin for error, its walls closing in as fatigue takes over. It is a race that tests the body as much as the car.

This year’s edition may have lacked chaos, but it still told its stories. McLaren clinched a second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, a proud milestone complicated by tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

George Russell drove with quiet authority to deliver Mercedes another victory, two years after heartbreak at the same track. Fernando Alonso fought through a slow pit stop and a wave of frustration to finish in the points, while Ferrari were once again left searching for the pace and consistency that continues to elude them.

McLaren clinch constructors’ title as Russell dominates Singapore GP

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Here are the best storylines from the race:

Russell conquers Singapore

George Russell’s victory in Singapore felt like the completion of a circle. Two years ago, on the final lap of the 2023 race, he clipped the wall at Turn 10 while chasing Lando Norris for second place, a mistake that ended his race and posed questions of his ability under pressure. The driver who returned to Marina Bay this season was different – more measured, more mature and capable of turning painful memories into mastery.

His intent was clear from qualifying. Russell extracted everything from his Mercedes with precision, placing it exactly where it needed to be and delivering a 1:29.158 lap that earned him pole ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. It was a lap defined by confidence and control.

The surprise came in how well the Mercedes performed. On paper, this was not a circuit expected to suit its strengths, yet the car found a balance and grip that transformed its handling. “We don’t really know where this performance came from,” Russell said. “I said yesterday that if I were to make a list of all the races I thought we could win this year, this would probably be right at the bottom.” What followed was proof of a machine that finally gave him trust – stable under braking, sharp through the corners, and kind on its tyres.

When the lights went out, Verstappen’s gamble of soft tyres brought early pressure, but Russell managed the pace with calm authority. “I was a bit nervous at the beginning when I saw Max on the softs,” he admitted, “but that first stint was great from us and we extended the gap.”

Russell crossed the line more than five seconds clear of Verstappen's Red Bull, exhausted but fulfilled at achieving the win. “It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago. That was a missed opportunity, but we more than made up for it today.”

His teammate Kimi Antonelli marked his first Singapore Grand Prix with a confident drive to fifth, overtaking Charles Leclerc on Lap 54 as the Ferrari’s pace faded. It rounded off a successful weekend for Mercedes.

McLaren’s constructors’ triumph overshadowed

McLaren clinched their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship in Singapore – their 10th overall – confirmation of a team restored to the summit of F1. It marked another chapter in a remarkable revival, yet a night that should have been defined by unity was clouded by fresh tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.

Piastri started third on the grid behind Russell and Verstappen, while Norris lined up fifth. When the lights went out, Norris made an explosive start. As Verstappen slowed sharply into Turn 3, Norris moved to the inside to avoid contact, clipping the Red Bull’s rear in the process. That touch unsettled his McLaren, sending him wide into Piastri on the outside. The two teammates made contact, forcing Piastri off line and allowing Norris to take third place.

Piastri’s frustration came through immediately on the radio. “That wasn’t very team-like,” he said. “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” His engineer Tom Stallard told him the team was reviewing the incident and later confirmed there would be “no action in the race” as Norris had been avoiding Verstappen. Piastri disagreed: “That’s not fair.”

The clash reignited the debate over McLaren’s papaya rules, the policy allowing both drivers to race freely without contact. It has faced scrutiny before – in Hungary, when Norris was allowed to change strategy while Piastri led, and in Monza, when Piastri was told to return a place after a pit stop delay for Norris.

Norris claimed the final podium place with Piastri fourth after a slow stop, securing McLaren the constructors’ title with six races to spare..

Ferrari falter again

Predictably, Ferrari’s weekend in Singapore failed to live up to expectations – again. On a circuit that should have suited their car, the team struggled to find balance or grip. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, just ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in seventh, but both drivers were left disappointed. Leclerc called the SF-25 “unbelievably difficult” to drive, explaining that it behaved unpredictably from corner to corner. Hamilton said the pace was there but admitted the team “didn’t optimise the session.”

The race offered little improvement. Hamilton opted for a two-stop strategy, switching to soft tyres late in the race to chase Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli for fifth. His effort ended when his brakes began to fail, forcing him to slow in the final laps. As Fernando Alonso closed in, the Aston Martin driver erupted in frustration over the radio, filled with expletives as he questioned how Hamilton was still allowed to continue. “Is it safe to drive with no brakes?” he screamed.

After the race, stewards ruled that Hamilton had gone off track several times without justifiable reasons while managing the issue, imposing a five-second penalty that dropped him from seventh to eighth behind Alonso. Leclerc finished sixth.

It was a disappointing outcome for a team expected to excel at Marina Bay, another reminder that Ferrari’s underlying inconsistency continues to hold them back.

Alonso battles through frustration

Fernando Alonso’s weekend in Singapore was a study in control and persistence. The Aston Martin came alive on the high-downforce streets of Marina Bay, and Alonso looked competitive – topping first practice and finishing fourth in FP2. “It seems a little bit better than the previous Grands Prix,” he said on Friday.

He qualified 10th and turned that into another hard-fought result on Sunday. A strong opening stint on soft tyres helped him move clear of the midfield, but a painfully slow 9.2-second pit stop dropped him back into traffic. After rejoining behind Isack Hadjar, Alonso hunted him down and reclaimed the position with authority, punctuating the move with a sardonic radio message, “Trophy for hero of the race!”. Was he mocking the rookie’s stubborn defence?

From there, he pressed on, managing pace and tyres to close on Hamilton in the final laps. He finished eighth but was promoted to seventh after Hamilton’s penalty. “The car was fast, even after the slow stop,” Alonso said. “Singapore is never easy to overtake, but we made it work.”