George Russell crash ended a promising start in the Singapore Grand Prix sprint, handing the lead to Max Verstappen after a wet-track incident on the opening lap.
Opening chaos
A 45-minute weather delay left drivers on wet tyres as the circuit remained partially dry. The sprint began with a standing start because of the rain-affected conditions.
Starting from second on the grid, Russell surged ahead of the pole-sitter and claimed the lead as the field accelerated. His rapid acceleration caught the pole-sitter off guard, allowing him to open a small gap before the first braking zone.
He spun into the wall, prompting a safety-car deployment. Russell said, “I came around the corner, I came on the throttle, I got more power than I was expecting from the battery. I went a little bit wide, and then I touched the white line. And number one rule in the rain is don’t touch the white lines. And yeah, it’s a very, very silly mistake. Overly confident. Yeah, just think it’s my first crash of the year, annoying to happen from that position.”
During the safety-car period the circuit gradually lost moisture, yet the drying was insufficient for the frontrunners to gamble on slicks. The safety car stayed out until the end of lap 6, after which it was withdrawn. Because corners 3 and 16 still held standing water, no team elected to switch to slick tyres, even though the leaders could have theoretically pitted.
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Russell’s chance of scoring points evaporated, and his 40-place grid penalty will see him start from the back of the grid for the Sunday Grand Prix.
Verstappen claims sprint win
Verstappen crossed the finish line first, securing his first sprint victory of the season and extending his record to 14 sprint wins.
He is the only competitor to win a sprint in every season since the format’s introduction in 2021. This consistency has made him a benchmark for other drivers aiming to master the sprint format.
Incidents and retirements
Lewis Hamilton advanced to third at the start, then rose to second after Russell’s crash.
