Russell Tops the Only Practice in Singapore, Then Faces a Back-of-the-Grid Start With Antonelli 84 Points Clear
Mercedes' George Russell was fastest in the one hour of running before sprint qualifying, but a fresh engine sends him to the rear for Sunday while team-mate Kimi Antonelli eyes the title in Austin.
Friday, October 9, 2026/2 min read
George Russell was the fastest man on the Marina Bay track on Friday, and by Sunday he will be the slowest-starting one. The Mercedes driver led the single practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend with a lap of 1:32.274, 0.198 seconds clear of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, according to Formula1.com's report. Lando Norris was third, Lewis Hamilton fourth and Oscar Piastri fifth. Max Verstappen was sixth and Russell's team-mate Kimi Antonelli seventh.
It was a scruffy hour. The track was dusty, Norris and Lance Stroll both went off, and Nico Hulkenberg stopped with a gearbox problem that brought out a brief Virtual Safety Car. With only one practice before sprint qualifying, teams had little time to learn anything.
Why does Russell start Singapore from the back?
Mercedes is fitting new power-unit components after the engine failure that ended Russell's race late in Malaysia, where he had been running third. The penalty is at least 10 places, and any penalty beyond 15 means starting at the back. It applies to Sunday's grand prix, not to Saturday's sprint, Formula1.com explained.
Russell called Singapore nearly the worst place to take such a penalty, behind only Monaco. His plan is "all-out attack, just trying to enjoy the weekend". He will return to the earlier version of the W17 package he used for pole and victory in Azerbaijan, while Antonelli runs the latest updates, so the two Mercedes cars give the team a direct comparison.
How close is Antonelli to the world title?
Antonelli leads the standings with 320 points to Russell's 236, an 84-point gap, per GPFans. Hamilton has 214, Leclerc 191 and Norris 188. The Associated Press worked out the arithmetic: 33 points are available across the sprint and the grand prix, and if Antonelli outscores Russell by 16 this week he could seal the title at the United States Grand Prix in Austin on 25 October. Norris's defence could end if Antonelli outscores him by 18.
Russell has some hope in precedent. Antonelli himself started at the back at Monza after a planned engine change and still won his home race decisively, the AP noted.
What should we watch this weekend in Singapore?
This is the final sprint weekend of the season. Sprint qualifying is on Friday evening, the 100-kilometre sprint on Saturday at 5pm local time in daylight, which is unusual for a street race, then qualifying and the grand prix on Sunday night. The sprint pays eight points to the winner down to one for eighth.
The weather is a wild card. The AP reported heat and humidity, haze from forest fires in Indonesia, and a chance of rain on Saturday and Sunday. After a software bug on a wet track delayed the start in Malaysia, the FIA says its rushed fix is ready for Singapore. Verstappen won in Malaysia but has never won in Singapore. If the rain comes, the fastest car on Friday may not be the one that matters on Sunday.
Published in The Outspoken Digest
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