Verstappen wins Singapore Sprint after Russell crashes from lead
On a wet track and after a delayed start, Russell crashed while leading and the two McLarens collided on the last lap.
Max Verstappen won the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint, a race the rain delayed and that lost its leader early: George Russell crashed while out in front. According to Formula1.com, the Red Bull driver inherited the lead and controlled the race to the end.
Verstappen started from pole in Sprint Qualifying, which stewards had put under review, but he got away badly. "The start was horrendous again, so that's definitely something that we need to improve on," he told Formula1.com. Russell, of Mercedes, beat him to the first corner on the wet track and took the lead. ESPN reports a delay of about 30 minutes because of the storm before the start.
Russell did not last a full lap in front. He lost the car on the exit of the final corner and hit the pit wall, according to The Race. Verstappen moved back into the lead. Lewis Hamilton, of Ferrari, had passed both McLarens and Charles Leclerc at the start and finished second, 2.591 seconds behind.
| Pos. | Driver | Team |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Max Verstappen | Red Bull |
| 2 | Lewis Hamilton | Ferrari |
| 3 | Charles Leclerc | Ferrari |
| 4 | Kimi Antonelli | Mercedes |
| 5 | Liam Lawson | Racing Bulls |
| 6 | Oliver Bearman | Haas |
| 7 | Nico Hülkenberg | Audi |
| 8 | Lando Norris | McLaren |
The McLaren collision
The last lap had a crash of its own. Lando Norris tried to pass his teammate Oscar Piastri at Turn 5 and the two touched. Both spun. Piastri's car ended up in the wall and he was out of the race. Norris continued and crossed the line eighth. Norris said he went for the move and that the gap "closed a bit more than I would have liked". Piastri answered: "I didn't see him at the apex."
The stewards took no action. According to Formula1.com, neither driver was the main culprit.
Checo Pérez, of Cadillac, retired shortly after the start after touching Lance Stroll, of Aston Martin, at Turn 16. "I wasn't expecting him to shut the door there," Pérez said. The stewards also closed that incident without a penalty, according to Formula1.com: they found that Stroll took a reasonable line. The Race counts nine retirements in total.
The main race is still to come on Sunday. Russell will start from the back of the grid because of a power unit change, and Kimi Antonelli arrives as championship leader with an 89-point advantage over his Mercedes teammate, according to ESPN.
