Mercedes' George Russell held his nerve to win Sunday's Formula 1 Singapore Grand Prix, but all eyes were on McLaren as tensions between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri boiled over during the team's coronation as Formula 1 Constructors' champions.
The race, officially designated F1's first "heat hazard" grand prix, saw cockpit temperatures exceed 60 degrees Celsius, testing drivers' stamina as much as machinery.
A pre-race rain shower rendered the surface greasy at the start, but Russell kept his cool throughout, converting pole into his second win of the season and controlling the pace from lights to flag on the demanding Marina Bay circuit.
Behind him, Max Verstappen brought his Red Bull home in second after an aggressive but untidy drive. The Dutchman, starting on Soft tyres while most rivals began on Mediums, struggled with shifting and braking issues and was never close enough to threaten the Mercedes. He nonetheless fended off a late charge from Norris, who spent the final 15 laps staring at the back of the Red Bull without finding a way past.
Norris's podium should have been a moment of great joy, sealing back-to-back Constructors' titles for McLaren with six grands prix and three ss remaining. Instead, the post-race conversation revolved around a first-lap collision with his own teammate.
Piastri, who started ahead, was clipped at Turn 3 as Norris lunged inside to avoid Verstappen slowing unexpectedly mid-corner. The contact damaged Norris's front wing and pushed Piastri wide, allowing Norris to slip ahead into third.
"That wasn't very team-like," Piastri said over the radio. Moments later he added: "Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?"
McLaren engineers replied that no action would be taken during the race, explaining that Norris had been avoiding Verstappen. Piastri was unconvinced. "That's not fair," he snapped, adding an expletive about Norris "avoiding another car by crashing into his teammate."
It was not the first flashpoint between the pair this year. In Hungary, Norris was allowed to switch strategies to beat Piastri, while in Italy, Piastri was told to hand a position back after a slow pit stop had dropped Norris behind him.
Both decisions caused friction, and this latest exchange reopened the question of whether McLaren's "let them race" philosophy is sustainable when both are fighting for a world title.
Norris brushed it off afterwards. "It was slippery, but it's racing," he said. "I put it on the inside, had a small correction, but nothing more than that."
Piastri's frustration was compounded by a slow pit stop that cost him nearly three seconds and left him too far back to challenge for a podium. He finished fourth, narrowing his championship lead over Norris to 22 points. Verstappen remains third in the standings, 63 points off the lead, heading into the United States Grand Prix on October 19.
Further back, Mercedes rookie Kimi Antonelli impressed with a measured drive to fifth after overtaking Ferrari's Charles Leclerc late in the race. Leclerc's teammate Lewis Hamilton briefly threatened to catch Antonelli before a partial brake failure forced him wide, allowing Leclerc back through to reclaim sixth and Fernando Alonso to take seventh for Aston Martin.
Behind Hamilton in eighth came Ollie Bearman's Haas, and Williams' Carlos Sainz rounded out the top ten despite having been disqualified from qualifying.
Unusually for a Singapore Grand Prix, there were no stoppages, safety car deployments or retirements, with all 20 drivers reaching the chequered flag.
McLaren's second straight Constructors' crown confirmed the team's return to sustained front-running form, yet its greatest challenge may lie within. The papaya cars have been the class of the field more often than not this year, but the internal balance between the two title contenders is growing increasingly fragile, and a resurgent Verstappen remains well-placed to take advantage of further internecine strife.
- George Russell
- Singapore GP
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
