The 2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix delivered fireworks under the lights as George Russell dominated from pole to flag, and McLaren sealed the Constructors’ Championship in spectacular fashion.
Across practice, qualifying, and race day, tensions, triumphs and pivots defined a weekend where titles and reputations alike were at stake.
The Chronicle Headlines
- Russell masterclass: pole on Saturday, lights-to-flag win on Sunday.
- McLaren seal the Constructors’ Championship with Norris P3 and Piastri P4.
- Double Williams DSQ in qualifying for rear-wing DRS slot gap non-compliance.
- Norris vs Piastri flashpoint: lap-one contact sparks team-radio fury, no action.
- Hamilton penalised post-race: five seconds for repeated track-limits breach, drops to P8 behind Alonso.
- Verstappen P2: threat fades late as Russell manages traffic and tyres.
- Shining performances from Antonelli, Bearman and Sainz.
Singapore GP Practice: Three Sessions, Three Leaders
The build-up to Qualifying at the Singapore GP 2025 saw three different drivers from three different teams rise to the top across the practice sessions, underlining just how tight the battle is under the lights of Marina Bay. Fernando Alonso surprised with P1 in the opener, Oscar Piastri hit back amid drama in FP2, and Max Verstappen edged a nail-biting final practice.
FP1: Alonso Tops the Timesheets as Leclerc and Verstappen Chase
Fernando Alonso stunned the field by setting the fastest time in Friday’s opening session at the Singapore GP 2025. The Aston Martin driver clocked a 1m31.116s under humid skies, edging Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc by 0.15s and keeping Red Bull’s Max Verstappen in third.
The one-hour session began on a slightly green surface after earlier showers, with most drivers starting on the hard compound while Aston Martin rolled the dice on mediums. Alonso quickly went to the top with a 1m32.592s before being briefly displaced by Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris. Once the soft tyres came out, lap times tumbled and Leclerc laid down a 1m31.266s benchmark, only for Alonso to respond with his ultimate lap that secured P1.
Verstappen could not quite extract maximum performance from the C5 rubber, leaving Red Bull watching Ferrari and Aston Martin lead the way. Lewis Hamilton slotted into fourth ahead of Oscar Piastri, who recovered from light contact with the wall to edge Norris for fifth. Norris himself had a scruffy session with understeer issues but still finished sixth. Rookie Isack Hadjar impressed again, taking seventh, while Sainz ended eighth on the harder compound. Yuki Tsunoda and Esteban Ocon rounded out the top ten.
There was early drama for Alex Albon as smoke poured from the rear of his Williams, forcing mechanics into quick action. Later moments included Pierre Gasly running wide at Turn 14 and Hamilton brushing the exit wall, reminders of how unforgiving Marina Bay remains.
FP2: Piastri Leads Disrupted Session as Norris and Leclerc Collide
Oscar Piastri put McLaren on top in Free Practice 2 at the Singapore GP 2025, posting a 1m30.714s in a stop-start session disrupted by two red flags and a bizarre pit lane clash between Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris.
McLaren showed stronger pace than in FP1, with Norris first setting a 1m31.716s on mediums. He looked set to better it but faded in the final sector, just 0.007s shy of his teammate. Soon after, George Russell spun at Turn 16, breaking his front wing and scattering debris, forcing the first red flag.
When the track reopened, Esteban Ocon briefly led on softs with a 1m31.480s, but another halt came after Liam Lawson clipped the wall at Turn 17, suffering a dramatic tyre failure. The most dramatic moment followed minutes later: Leclerc exited directly into Norris’ path, sending the McLaren into the pit wall and breaking his front wing. Both drivers returned later, but stewards summoned them post-session, with Ferrari fined for unsafe release.
The final 20 minutes saw a sprint for soft-tyre supremacy. Isack Hadjar impressed with 1m31.440s to split the frontrunners, while Fernando Alonso dipped into the 1m30s with 1m30.877s. Verstappen briefly snatched the top, but Piastri’s late push secured P1, underlining his rebound after Baku’s disappointment.
The order closed with Hadjar second, Verstappen third, Alonso fourth, and Norris salvaging fifth despite frustration over the deficit to Piastri. Stroll followed in sixth, ahead of Ocon, Sainz, Leclerc, and Hamilton.
For McLaren, FP2 was both encouraging and chaotic, while Ferrari left with more questions than answers.
FP3: Verstappen Edges Piastri in Ultra-Close Singapore Final Practice
Max Verstappen set the pace in the final practice session at the Singapore GP 2025, clocking a 1m30.148s that left him just 0.017s ahead of Oscar Piastri. The top five were covered by a razor-thin 0.089s, setting the stage for a dramatic qualifying battle under the Marina Bay lights.
Lando Norris opened the running with a 1m31.021s on mediums, briefly holding P1 while others dialed in their setups. A red flag soon interrupted proceedings when Liam Lawson clipped the Turn 7 kerb and slammed into the wall, leaving his Racing Bulls crew with another repair job after his FP2 crash.
When the session resumed, times began tumbling. Andrea Kimi Antonelli was the first into the 1m30s bracket with a 1m30.760s, before Charles Leclerc and Norris traded fastest laps. As the soft tyres came into play, Verstappen hooked up all three sectors to go fastest. Piastri responded late, falling agonisingly short by just hundredths.
George Russell bounced back from his FP2 crash to finish third, 0.049s off the top, though he admitted Turn 16 still felt tricky. Behind him, Antonelli and Norris shared identical times of 1m30.237s for fourth and fifth.
The midfield looked tighter than ever. Carlos Sainz, rookie Isack Hadjar, Lewis Hamilton, and Nico Hülkenberg filled out the next group, all within half a second. Leclerc rounded out the top ten after a mixed session for Ferrari.
2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying
Qualifying at the Marina Bay Street Circuit delivered all the drama under the lights, from surprise exits and wall brushes to a sensational pole from George Russell. Here’s how each session unfolded at the 2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix.
Q1: Hamilton Sets the Tone as Qualifying Opens in Singapore
Lewis Hamilton struck first in Singapore, topping Q1 with a 1m29.765s lap that drew cheers from the Marina Bay grandstands. After three practice sessions dominated by three different drivers, Qualifying opened under floodlights with tension already high.
Most of the grid went straight out on soft tyres, eager to bank early laps. Max Verstappen set the first benchmark with a 1m30.317s, briefly ahead of Oliver Bearman and George Russell, while Hamilton struggled with a lock-up at Turn 1. Moments later, Oscar Piastri was forced to abandon a push lap after yellow flags for a slow-moving car at the first chicane.
The session built quickly. Isack Hadjar briefly jumped to P1 with a 1m30.214s before Lando Norris dipped under the 90-second mark with a 1m29.932s. Andrea Kimi Antonelli also impressed, slotting second after a close call with Carlos Sainz, though stewards decided no action was needed.
In the final minutes, Hamilton hooked up a clean lap to reclaim the top spot. Russell improved to second, pushing Norris, Verstappen, Antonelli and Hadjar behind. Piastri advanced safely in seventh, joined by Leclerc, Bearman and Tsunoda.
The big losers were Gabriel Bortoleto, Lance Stroll, Franco Colapinto, Esteban Ocon and Pierre Gasly, the latter stopping on track with a hydraulic issue and ending Alpine’s hopes early.
Q2: Russell Edges Verstappen as McLarens Fall Short
After a brief pause to clear Gasly’s stricken Alpine, the second phase of Qualifying got underway with intensity. Max Verstappen immediately set the standard, producing a 1m29.747s to lead early from Oscar Piastri, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris.
Isack Hadjar kept his strong form alive in fifth, while Charles Leclerc clipped the wall at Turn 14 and could manage only 13th. Behind, Andrea Kimi Antonelli lost his first lap to track limits, leaving him under pressure alongside Liam Lawson, Yuki Tsunoda and Alex Albon, all sitting on the wrong side of the cut.
When the decisive runs came, Antonelli responded brilliantly with a 1m29.649s to briefly lead, only for teammate George Russell to eclipse him on a 1m29.562s. Verstappen slotted back into second, as McLaren’s Norris and Piastri settled for fourth and fifth.
Leclerc salvaged sixth with a cleaner lap, while Hamilton and Hadjar advanced comfortably. Fernando Alonso and rookie Oliver Bearman also delivered when it mattered, sneaking into Q3 at the expense of the chasing pack.
Falling short were Nico Hulkenberg, Albon, Lawson, Tsunoda and Carlos Sainz, the latter a surprise exit after lacking pace throughout the segment.
Q3: Russell Stuns Singapore With Brilliant Pole
George Russell delivered one of the laps of his career under the lights at Marina Bay, grabbing pole position for the Singapore Grand Prix with a 1m29.158s. His opening flyer, a 1m29.165s, already had rivals on the back foot, and despite brushing the Turn 17 wall, he looked composed throughout the session.
Max Verstappen initially slotted into second, 0.175s adrift, but saw his final attempt ruined by traffic when he came across Lando Norris on a cooldown lap. The Dutchman was forced to abandon his push, visibly frustrated to miss the chance of challenging Mercedes for top spot.
Behind them, Oscar Piastri salvaged third with a strong late effort that keeps his title bid intact, while Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli impressed once again in fourth.
Norris could manage only fifth as McLaren’s qualifying edge faded, ahead of the Ferraris of Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc, who struggled to find the grip for a front-row fight.
Rookie Isack Hadjar claimed a remarkable eighth for Racing Bulls, while Oliver Bearman and Fernando Alonso completed the top ten on a night that confirmed Russell’s brilliance and Mercedes’ growing threat.
Williams Duo Disqualified from Singapore Qualifying
Both Alex Albon and Carlos Sainz have been disqualified from 2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix Qualifying after FIA checks revealed their Williams rear wings exceeded the 85mm maximum DRS slot gap. The breach of Article 3.10.10(g) means their P12 and P13 results are void, sending both drivers to the back of the grid.
In the stewards’ report, Williams admitted the infringement and accepted FIA measurements.
Team Principal James Vowles said:
“During FIA scrutineering after Qualifying, the rear wings on both our cars failed DRS slot gap checks. This is bitterly disappointing… but we fully accept the FIA ruling. We have a car capable of scoring points here and will fight from the back.”
2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix
Russell’s Masterclass & McLaren’s Moment
George Russell converted pole into a superb lights-to-flag win at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, finishing 5.4 seconds clear of Max Verstappen. From the moment the lights went out under Marina Bay’s floodlit sky, Russell held composure, making the perfect getaway and immediately fending off Verstappen’s early pressure.
Verstappen, starting on soft tyres from the “dirty” side of the grid, tried to counter but struggled as his Red Bull battled downshifts under heavy braking. By lap 19, after pitting for hard tyres, he rejoined behind Russell and never truly threatened again. Russell’s pit stop allowed the margin to shrink, but a late lock-up at Turn 14 ended Verstappen’s comeback bid and pushed Lando Norris into the mix.
Meanwhile, the McLaren duo delivered exactly what the team needed. A first-corner clash saw Norris nudge Piastri, damaging a front-wing endplate but not their championship aspirations. Norris settled into P3, while Piastri recovered to P4, combining to score enough points to clinch McLaren’s second consecutive Constructors’ Championship.
By mid-race, traffic and tyre management became decisive. Russell carved through backmarkers decisively; Verstappen lost time navigating them, opening further breathing room. Norris pressed him late but Verstappen defended resolutely. Russell cruised home, executing a quiet masterclass that reaffirmed his status on street circuits.
Battle Behind & Closing Order
In the closing laps, Norris shadowed Verstappen closely, hunting for a late move into P2. Though he couldn’t overtake, the McLaren driver delivered a measured podium finish, while Piastri recovered from their early clash to secure a strong fourth, holding off the chasing pack with composure.
Andrea Kimi Antonelli produced another standout performance, taking fifth place. He lost ground initially but rallied late in the race to reclaim position from Charles Leclerc. Leclerc’s race was a mixed affair: he dropped behind teammate Lewis Hamilton, but regained sixth as Hamilton’s brakes began to fade in the closing laps.
Hamilton finished seventh, narrowly ahead of Fernando Alonso, who crossed the line just 0.416 seconds behind. Oliver Bearman and Carlos Sainz rounded out the top 10. Bearman scoring for Haas, Sainz bouncing back after Williams’ qualifying disqualifications.
Notably, no retirements occurred during the race. Russell’s win marked Mercedes’ first Singapore GP victory since 2019, and McLaren’s title puts them second in all-time Constructors’ Championships with ten total.
As fireworks lit Marina Bay, the story was clear: Russell ruled the race; McLaren ruled the season.
Post-Race Penalty: Hamilton Drops to Eighth
Lewis Hamilton received a five-second time penalty for leaving the track without a justifiable reason, multiple times, as confirmed by the stewards after the race.
The Ferrari driver admitted to running wide on several occasions while trying to manage brake issues, but the stewards ruled this was not an acceptable exemption under the Driving Standards Guidelines.
As a result, Hamilton is demoted from seventh to eighth place, while Fernando Alonso is promoted to seventh in the final classification.
What next?
With 2025 F1 Singapore Grand Prix behind us, we have six Grands Prix remaining, including three sprint weekends, the championship enters its final stretch. The next stop is Austin (United States GP) on October 19, which is also a sprint event weekend.
Beyond Austin, the calendar still includes Mexico City, São Paulo, Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi, each race carrying high stakes.
McLaren may have locked up the Constructors’ title in Singapore, but the Drivers’ Championship is far from settled. Watch how teams juggle strategies, tyre gambles and sprint formats as they make their final push.
Feature Image Credit: Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 Team