George Russell crashes out of lead of Singapore GP sprint
George Russell crashes out of the Singapore Grand Prix sprint race.
George Russell has crashed out of the lead of the Formula 1 sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The Mercedes driver had taken the lead from Max Verstappen with a brilliant getaway but spun out on the start-finish straight at the start of the second lap.
Russell spun off into the barriers after touching the white painted lines in tricky damp conditions.
Thankfully, the rest of the field managed to avoid Russell as he spun back onto the path of oncoming traffic with spray making visibility difficult.
It marks the latest blow to Russell’s fading hopes of winning this year’s world championship.
Russell had been on course to score eight points but will now come away with nothing, meaning Andrea Kimi Antonelli will likely further enhance his 84-point advantage at the top of the drivers’ standings.
The 28-year-old Briton faces further pain as he will start Sunday’s grand prix from the back of the grid after exceeding his permitted allocation of power unit components for 2026.
The start of the sprint race was delayed by 30 minutes after a heavy thunderstorm hit shortly before the scheduled start.
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