George Russell said, “That’s how you do it.” He led every lap and won the Singapore Grand Prix for Mercedes.
Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri fought behind him, their rivalry finally exploding. Norris finished third, Piastri fourth.
Russell looked calm. “We nailed it today,” he said. His flawless drive brought his second win of the year.
Mercedes celebrated, but McLaren faced chaos despite securing the constructors’ title.
At the start, Russell held his lead. Norris jumped from fifth to third, muscling past Piastri at turn three.
He clipped the Australian’s car but escaped with only minor front-wing damage.
Piastri shouted on the radio, “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?”
The team replied they would review it later. Piastri fumed. “That’s not fair,” he snapped.
“If he has to avoid another car by hitting me, that’s a pretty shit job of avoiding it.”
McLaren’s policy of “fair racing” now looked fragile.
Past team orders, like at Monza, had already caused tension between the drivers.
Toto Wolff had warned, “Fairness is a tricky precedent.”
Piastri refused to discuss strategy. “Do whatever you think is best,” he told his engineer coldly.
Norris disagreed. “It was hard racing, nothing more,” he said after the race.
On track, Russell built a big lead. Norris chased Verstappen but couldn’t pass him.
Verstappen pitted first; Norris refused to let Piastri pit before him.
Piastri’s slow stop made things worse. He rejoined still behind his teammate.
Russell crossed the line five seconds clear of Verstappen.
Norris followed in third, Piastri fourth. “Redemption after last year,” Russell said, smiling.
Behind them, Antonelli took fifth, Leclerc sixth, Hamilton seventh, Alonso eighth, Bearman ninth, and Sainz tenth.
Hamilton faced investigation for exceeding track limits, ending a tense night under Singapore’s lights.
