SINGAPORE: Mercedes driver George Russell was fastest in the only Singapore GP practice session on Friday, clocking one minute 32.274 seconds at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
Russell, who won last year’s race in Singapore from pole position, looked sharp on the dusty street track as Formula One returned to the floodlit circuit for a sprint weekend. He finished nearly two-tenths of a second clear of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, with reigning champion Lando Norris third fastest.
The Briton is determined to bounce back from a disappointing retirement at Sepang last weekend, when his Mercedes suffered an engine failure just five laps from the finish. But whatever he achieves this weekend comes with a caveat: Russell will start Sunday’s grand prix from the back of the grid because of a power unit penalty.
Singapore GP practice: a familiar hunting ground
Singapore has been a happy venue for Russell. His pole-to-flag victory in 2025 remains one of the standout drives of his career, and Friday’s pace suggested he has every chance of repeating his qualifying heroics. With the Marina Bay circuit hosting a sprint this year, drivers had just a single practice session in daylight before sprint qualifying under the lights on Friday evening, and Verstappen has vowed to end his winless run at the venue.
Russell made the most of his limited running. His soft-tyre lap came late in the session and held up against the field, with Leclerc unable to match it despite pushing hard in the final minutes. Conditions were tricky, with the FIA warning of haze restrictions on outdoor activity during the F1 weekend.
Championship picture: Antonelli still clear
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli was only seventh fastest, nearly half a second off his Mercedes team-mate’s pace. The young Italian leads Russell by 84 points in the standings and will be relieved that the practice gap counts for little when his rival is heading to the back of the grid.
Ferrari’s Lewis Hamilton was fourth fastest ahead of McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, while Max Verstappen was sixth but set the fastest time on medium tyres. The Dutchman had earlier gone quickest overall before being called back to the Red Bull garage, with team principal Laurent Mekies explaining that his radio had stopped working. Verstappen arrived in Singapore on the back of his rain-hit victory in Malaysia, his first win of the 2026 season.
“That made everyone’s lives difficult. We had nothing at all and it is quite difficult to run these cars with no radio,” Mekies said.
Verstappen’s team-mate Isack Hadjar was eighth, followed by Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson in tenth. Russell’s pace came in Mercedes’ W17, the team’s 2026 challenger unveiled in January.
Originally reported by Geo Super.
Frequently asked questions
Why will Russell start at the back of the grid in Singapore?
Russell’s Mercedes suffered an engine failure five laps from the end of the Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang. The damage forced a power unit change beyond the permitted allocation, triggering an automatic back-of-grid penalty for Singapore.
How many practice sessions are there at the Singapore Grand Prix this year?
Just one. Singapore is hosting a sprint weekend in 2026, which means drivers get a single one-hour practice session before sprint qualifying on Friday, followed by the sprint race and then the grand prix.
Who leads the drivers’ championship?
Kimi Antonelli leads the championship and sits 84 points ahead of his Mercedes team-mate George Russell.
When does sprint qualifying take place in Singapore?
Sprint qualifying takes place under the lights at the Marina Bay Street Circuit on Friday evening, a few hours after the single practice session.
