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Motorsport

F1 Singapore GP: Five quick takeaways

Max Verstappen Oscar Piastri F1 Lando Norris George Russell Red Bull Singapore Ferrari McLaren Yuki Tsunoda

McLaren radio chatter shows tension is rising

McLaren's intra-team title battle may have been a friendly affair so far, with some pushing and pulling between its two drivers and their team. But the Singapore race was the first indication of tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri themselves.

Piastri didn't take kindly to Norris "barging" into him at the start, as the Briton made up two spots and snatched third away from the Australian. Norris was about to pass Piastri fairly on the inside, but then had to duck out of the way for Max Verstappen who was slower than expected on the apex.

That pitted Norris into Piastri, a minor misjudgement from the Briton vis-a-vis Verstappen, but Piastri didn't see it that way and protested against his team-mate.

"That wasn't very team-like. Are we cool with Lando barging me out of the way there?," Piastri said and when the wider perspective was explained to him, he shot back: “If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, then that’s a pretty **** job of avoiding.”

Piastri may well view the incident differently once he has seen the replays, but it's the first time the otherwise unflappable 24-year-old has shown so much needle this year. If anything, McLaren has opened the door for such disgruntlement after asking Piastri to switch positions with Norris in Monza.

It's a slight dint in the team's celebration of its second successive constructors' title, and sets up a tense six-race season climax.

- Fil Cleeren

Russell uses the best negotiating tactics

Oscar Piastri, McLaren, Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, George Russell, Mercedes (Photo by: Sam Bloxham / LAT Images via Getty Images)

It’s somewhat surprising George Russell still hasn’t signed his new contract with Mercedes for 2026 – even if everyone understands it’s going to happen anyway. Still, a couple of months have now passed since Verstappen made it clear he’s not moving away from Red Bull at least next season – and that wasn’t enough for Toto Wolff to agree terms with Russell.

Whether it’s about contract length, the number of PR days, or pure salary, the driver’s position has just become a little bit stronger. He was having the best year of his F1 career anyway, but the Singapore victory rubber-stamps his status as the absolute leader at Mercedes. Russell has won as many races for the team so far as he potentially could.

His Singapore form was a bit unexpected – yet the weekend confirmed that, when the pace is there, Russell is ready to capitalise on it and deliver. Pole, controlled race, clean drive – he made it look easy, as if it were a race from Mercedes’ glory years, of which Russell himself wasn’t part. Yet, if Wolff’s team manages to find a way back to the top, the Brit has done everything possible to make his boss aware he’s ready for more.

- Oleg Karpov

Singapore shows Red Bull is now quick everywhere

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing (Photo by: Zak Mauger / LAT Images via Getty Images)

It wasn’t long ago that Verstappen qualified eighth and finished ninth – over a minute adrift of a McLaren 1-2 – at the Hungarian Grand Prix. Since then, things have changed dramatically for him: he qualified third and finished second in Zandvoort before winning from pole position at both Monza and Baku in dominant fashion.

However, Red Bull clearly needed to confirm its recent form at the track where it has struggled most in recent years: the Marina Bay Street Circuit, the only venue on the current F1 calendar where Verstappen has never won, despite the incredible success he has achieved in recent seasons.

Things started well on Friday, as Verstappen finished third in both practice sessions. Red Bull Formula 1 advisor Helmut Marko even hailed it as the team’s “best Friday in years” at a Singapore Grand Prix, before Verstappen went on to qualify second.

While he ultimately came up short in his bid for victory on Sunday and had to settle for second place – the gamble to start on soft tyres and try to seize the lead off the line didn’t pay off – the reality is that Verstappen and Red Bull were right in the mix at a circuit where they famously struggled in 2023, finishing 21 seconds behind Norris last year.

Verstappen claimed that Red Bull’s recent progress is more about improved execution from the team than the upgrades introduced in recent races – mainly to the floor. And while he was cautious when asked whether Singapore proves that Red Bull can now be competitive everywhere, it will be fascinating to see how much of this form the team can carry into the final stretch of the season.

- Federico Faturos

Ferrari struggles continue

Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (Photo by: Glenn Dunbar / LAT Images via Getty Images)

It is difficult to understand (and for us to explain) Ferrari’s 2025 season, and Singapore has not helped solve anything. Charles Leclerc had pointed to the Marina Bay circuit as one of the few races where the expected first victory of the year might come, but the reality was very different. Mercedes and Red Bull (well, Verstappen) managed to beat McLaren, but Ferrari never had a chance to be in the fight.

Leclerc stayed close to Piastri during the first lap, but it was a mirage, and Ferrari wasted the opportunity again. The nature of the circuit allowed McLaren’s rivals to dream, but Ferrari, after 18 races, has failed to find any track where its car has anything extra — and Singapore was no exception. In fact, not only did the victory Leclerc had imagined not come, they couldn’t even get on the podium. Red Bull and Mercedes (with more or less only one driver in both teams) have achieved almost twice as many podiums as Ferrari.

The most worrying thing for Ferrari is that they have failed to make progress throughout the entire 2025 season. McLaren didn’t need to do so, but Red Bull and Mercedes did, and the Scuderia finishing fourth in the constructors’ championship looks increasingly likely. Whether that lack of development turns into Ferrari leading F1 in 2026 is something we will only find out in a few months’ time. But not even the biggest fan of the Italian team can be confident this is a certainty.

- Jose Carlos de Celis

Tsunoda fails to carry Baku momentum

Yuki Tsunoda, Red Bull Racing Team (Photo by: Simon Galloway / LAT Images via Getty Images)

Yuki Tsunoda had his best drive of the season at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, in both qualifying and the race, but his revival was short-lived.

In Singapore, Tsunoda failed to get a higher qualifying position than 15th – though he was bumped up to 13th by the Williams cars’ disqualification – and he spent most of the race near the back of the pack, struggling to make inroads despite theoretically faster machinery than his opponents’.

Tsunoda ended up 12th under the chequered flag and humiliatingly was lapped by team-mate Verstappen, who finished second.

When it comes to securing the second Red Bull seat for 2026, with the likely deadline of late October looming, this performance definitely won’t do him any favours.

- Ben Vinel