George Russell’s dominance in Singapore, McLaren constructors’ champion
Fifth career win and second of the season after the one in Canada for George Russell, the Mercedes Briton triumphs in the Singapore Grand Prix ahead of Max Verstappen and Lando Norris, fourth the world leader Oscar Piastri. Sixth and seventh were the Ferraris of Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.
Russell and Verstappen started well from the front row, Piastri was attacked and overtaken by Norris with even a slight touching between the teammates, but Norris had damage to his left front mustache, that is, on the opposite side of the touch. Leclerc moved up to fifth ahead of Antonelli and Hamilton.
Literally nothing happens until the end of lap 19 when the first of the big guys to pit is Verstappen. On the 21st and 24th it’s the turn of the Ferraris of Leclerc and Hamilton, on the 25th stop for both Mercedes of Russell and Antonelli.
At 26th pit stop for Norris, who from less than a second gap he had from Verstappen now has almost five: usual inexplicable race strategy of McLare. Finally, in 27th Piastri stopped and at the end of the tire changes the positions of the first seven remained identical.
Shortly after mid-race Verstappen goes long and loses about two seconds to Norris. Thrill on lap 45 for a spin by Hulkenberg but fortunately the German restarts, so no safety car. On lap 54 Antonelli overtakes Leclerc and climbs to fifth, the Monegasque two laps later also gives way to his teammate Hamilton.
The seven-time world champion also overtakes Antonelli but then suffers brake problems and is passed again by the Bolognese driver and Leclerc. The other positions do not change and Russell wins ahead of Verstappen, Norris and Piastri. Fifth is Antonelli, sixth Leclerc and seventh Hamilton. Fernando Alonso (Aston Martin), Oliver Bearman (Haas) and Carlos Sainz (Williams) close the points zone.
McLaren wins the tenth constructors’ world championship in its history, detaching Williams, with which it shared second place in the list of titles won behind Ferrari, which has been stationary at 16 since 2008. 650 points in the standings for the “papayas,” exactly double, 325, those of Mercedes with six races to go. In the drivers’ standings Piastri is on 336 points, 22 more than Norris and 63 more than Verstappen.
