George Russell was quickest in the sole practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix after returning to Mercedes’ pre-Sepang car specification.
However his team mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, running the latest parts plus the team’s new front wing, did not set a flying lap on the soft tyres, as he chose to save fresh sets for qualifying. Nor did Max Verstappen or Isack Hadjar of Red Bull.
The Mercedes drivers are pursuing different strategies as Russell has a grid penalty for this weekend’s race. Mercedes fitted a complete new power unit to his car following his retirement in Malaysia, meaning he will have to start from the back of the ghrid.
Russell therefore led the Ferrari and McLaren drivers on soft rubber. Charles Leclerc got within two-tenths of a second of the Mercedes, having backed out of his first tyre run claiming Lance Stroll held him up at turn four.
Lando Norris looked quick from the off in his McLaren. Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri backed up their team mates in the next two positions.
Antonelli locked up at turn 16 during one of his late runs on the medium rubber. That left him seventh behind Verstappen, who was immediately quick on the hard tyre when the track was at its dirtiest early in the session, and fastest of those who set times on mediums.
Hadjar was next in eighth albeit seven-tenths of a second slower than Verstappen. He was unhappy with his car’s balance early in the session, telling his team: “the grounding is a disaster on the brakes, I have zero confidence to push.”
Pierre Gasly put his Alpine in ninth place and Liam Lawson completed the top 10 for Racing Bulls. Nico Hulkenberg came to a stop at the pit lane exit just after the halfway point in the session due to an unspecified problem in his Audi.
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2026 Singapore Grand Prix first practice result
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