Russell tops Singapore's only F1 practice despite back-of-grid penalty
George Russell was fastest Friday in the only practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix, ahead of Ferrari's Charles Leclerc and McLaren's Lando Norris. The Mercedes driver will still start Sunday's race from the back after an engine change. His teammate Kimi Antonelli, who leads him by 84 points, was seventh after he ran off the track late.
George Russell was fastest in the only practice session of the Singapore Grand Prix on Friday, setting a lap of 1:32.274 on soft tires, BBC Sport reported. Ferrari's Charles Leclerc was about two tenths of a second slower in second, and world champion Lando Norris was third for McLaren.
Lewis Hamilton and Oscar Piastri filled out the top five. Max Verstappen, who won in Malaysia last weekend, finished sixth after losing radio contact with his Red Bull team for part of the hour, according to RacingNews365 and F1Oversteer.
The fast lap does not change Russell's Sunday. He needs a new engine this weekend, which puts him over the season limit, so he will start the Grand Prix from the back of the grid. He has also said he will need another new engine later this season, which would bring another penalty, BBC Sport reported.
Championship leader Kimi Antonelli had a rougher afternoon. He finished seventh after running off the track at Turn 16 late in the session, telling his team on the radio, "Oh my god man!" Antonelli still leads Russell by 84 points in the standings.
There was one brief interruption when Nico Hulkenberg's Audi stopped near the pit exit, bringing out a short virtual safety car, and Audi is now investigating the problem so he can run again in Sprint qualifying, RacingNews365 reported.
This is the first Sprint weekend ever held in Singapore and the last of six this season. Under the Sprint format, teams get one hour of practice instead of three, so they had little time to set up the new 2026 cars on a tight street circuit before the sessions that count. A Sprint is a short race of about 100 kilometers, and the winner earns eight points.
The weather adds another test for the drivers, because officials declared a heat hazard for both races, which means every car must carry a working driver cooling system. Haze from fires in Indonesia has also left Singapore's air at unhealthy levels this week.
Sprint qualifying is Friday at 8:30 a.m. ET. The Sprint runs Saturday at 5 a.m. ET, with Grand Prix qualifying at 9 a.m. ET. The race starts Sunday at 8 a.m. ET, which is 8 p.m. in Singapore, and Apple TV shows the sessions in the United States.
What we know: Russell led the only practice session, and he still starts Sunday's race last.
What we don't: Whether Friday's order will hold once Sprint qualifying begins.
Where outlets agree BBC Sport, RacingNews365 and F1Oversteer all report that Russell was fastest in practice, ahead of Leclerc and Norris.
Where they differ The outlets cited here report the same key facts so far.