Russell tops sole Singapore practice as Mercedes runs older spec car

George Russell recorded the quickest lap in the single practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, driving a Mercedes fitted with the team’s pre-Sepang specification after a new power unit was installed following his retirement in Malaysia. Russell’s time of 1:32.274 placed him ahead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and McLaren’s Lando Norris, who were within a few tenths of a second.

Mercedes adopted differing strategies for the session. Rookie teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who was testing the latest parts and a new front wing, refrained from a fast lap on soft tyres to preserve fresh compounds for qualifying. Red Bull’s Max Verstappen and Isack Hadjar also held back tyre usage.

Russell carries a grid penalty that will force him to start from the back of the grid, but his pace on soft rubber demonstrated the car’s competitiveness. Leclerc, who missed part of his first tyre run after being impeded by Lance Stroll, finished just 0.198 seconds slower. Hamilton and Oscar Piastri completed the top five, while Verstappen was the fastest among those on medium tyres.

Antonelli locked up at turn 16 on medium rubber, ending the session in seventh place. Hadjar, who expressed concerns about his car’s balance, said, > "the grounding is a disaster on the brakes, I have zero confidence to push." He finished eighth, seven-tenths of a second behind Verstappen. Alpine’s Pierre Gasly and Racing Bulls’ Liam Lawson rounded out the top ten.

Nico Hulkenberg stopped at the pit lane exit after encountering an unspecified problem with his Audi. The session results set the stage for qualifying, where tyre management will be crucial for the drivers.