Race day backdrop at Marina Bay
The Formula 1 Singapore Airlines Singapore Grand Prix delivered a dramatic night race under the floodlights at the tight 4.927km Marina Bay street circuit. On a humid evening with track temperatures in the low 30s Celsius, the stage was set for a memorable race that would redefine momentum for the teams chasing glory this season.
George Russell seals a dominant victory from pole
Mercedes’ George Russell converted pole position into a commanding win, crossing the finish line in 1 hour 40 minutes 22.367 seconds. It marked his first Singapore victory and his 11th win from pole in 16 editions of the race, underscoring Mercedes’ continued performance in demanding street circuits where overtaking is notoriously tough. Russell stayed composed throughout the 62 laps, handling the 33°C heat and 81% humidity with clinical precision and timing his attacks to perfection as the traffic condensed around the Marina Bay circuit.
Reaction at the top
After a weekend of competing pressures, Russell said post-race that he would have ranked this win near the bottom of his preseason expectations, making the triumph even sweeter: “If I sat down and made a list at the start of the season of the races I thought we could win, this would be right at the bottom. So we’ll celebrate this and we won’t worry about Austin yet.” His win solidified Mercedes’ place at the front end of a tight championship battle as the season begins to wind toward its final chapters.
Red Bull and McLaren on the podium
Max Verstappen finished second in a Red Bull that matched the pace of the Mercedes in the race’s late stages, while Lando Norris completed the podium for McLaren after a strong performance in the heat. Norris summed up the mood in the McLaren camp, stating, “I feel like I did everything I did today and I’m happy with third.” The day, however, belonged to the team’s counterpart in Woking, as McLaren clinched the Constructors’ title with Norris and Oscar Piastri’s solid finishes as the night’s celebrations began.
McLaren seals a record-equalling constructors’ triumph
McLaren’s victory in the Constructors’ standings came with still six rounds left on the schedule. They needed just 13 points in Singapore to confirm their 10th Constructors’ title and their back-to-back season triumph marks a historic achievement for the team, reinforcing their return to the sport’s elite tier and validating the leadership of Norris and Piastri as title contenders in a highly competitive era.
Championship standings and what’s next
With Russell taking maximum points at Singapore, he remains fourth in the Drivers’ Championship with 237 points, while the lead remains with the likes of Piastri and Norris for McLaren and Verstappen in the Red Bull camp. The focus now shifts to the United States Grand Prix in Texas on Oct 19, where teams will again chase every last point as the season pivots toward its closing chapters.
Why Singapore lived up to its reputation
The night race’s reputation for providing strategic fireworks and tight racing lived up to expectations. Overtaking opportunities are limited on the 5-kilometer circuit, but a combination of heat, humidity, and neon-lit walls amplified the drama, producing a race where pole position and strategy mattered as much as raw pace. For Russell, Norris, Piastri, and the McLaren crew, Singapore proved a turning point in a season that has already offered both challenge and long-awaited reward.
