George Russell’s Friday night in Singapore ended earlier than expected — and not the way he’d have liked. The Mercedes driver triggered a red flag during the second free practice session (FP2) at the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix after a crash he himself described as “a bit strange.”
With 42 minutes remaining in the session, Russell lost the rear of his Mercedes at Turn 16, sliding into the wall head-on. His front wing was torn clean off, and though he managed to limp back to the pits with a punctured tire, the damage proved too severe to continue. After completing just six laps, his evening’s running was effectively over.
“Honestly, I don’t really know what happened,” Russell said afterwards. “I braked a little earlier than usual and kept my speed down, but I still lost the rear. It was weird.”
Despite the setback, the Briton was relieved that the crash wasn’t more serious. “Fortunately, I hit it from the front, so there wasn’t any major damage, but of course the session was over. It’s a bit frustrating and I feel sorry for the team, but I’m glad it happened today and not tomorrow.”
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A Frustrating End to a Promising Start
Russell’s day began reasonably well, with an 11th-place finish in FP1 that showed flashes of promise for Mercedes. The team had brought minor aerodynamic updates to Singapore, hoping to address their recent balance issues on tighter street circuits. However, FP2 was a different story altogether.
While Russell’s session ended prematurely, teammate Lewis Hamilton completed his full program, offering at least some data for the engineers to work with overnight. Russell, though, was left frustrated by the loss of track time. “It’s never ideal to end a session early on a street circuit,” he admitted. “You need laps to build confidence, especially here where the walls are close and the grip evolves lap by lap.”
Even with the crash, Russell remained upbeat about the car’s overall feel. “FP1 was tough, but the car didn’t feel bad at all. The pace was there — I just couldn’t piece a clean lap together. If I had, the times would’ve looked a lot better.”
Track Evolution and Weather Adding to the Challenge
The Marina Bay circuit is notorious for its ever-changing conditions. As rubber gets laid down, grip improves significantly — and that makes every minute of practice valuable. Russell’s early exit meant missing out on this natural evolution, putting him slightly on the back foot for Saturday.
“Honestly, it wasn’t our best Friday,” he said with a wry smile. “But the road surface here always changes, and there’s a chance of rain tomorrow, so I’m not too worried. It’s all still to play for.”
The forecast for Saturday suggests potential light showers in the evening, which could spice up qualifying. For a driver like Russell — quick in mixed conditions — that might be a blessing in disguise.
Piastri Tops the Timesheets as Hajjar Impresses
While Russell’s crash halted the session temporarily, it didn’t stop Oscar Piastri from stealing the show. The McLaren driver continued his strong form by topping FP2, posting the fastest lap of the evening. His time was just 0.132 seconds ahead of Racing Bulls’ rising star Isack Hadjar, who stunned the paddock by finishing second.
McLaren, coming off a string of podiums, looked sharp once again, while Racing Bulls’ unexpected pace hinted at a potentially interesting midfield battle.
Further down the order, both Ferraris struggled to find rhythm on the evolving track, and Mercedes’ data-heavy FP2 plan was disrupted by Russell’s crash. Nevertheless, the team hopes to rebound in FP3 with a more stable balance setup and a clearer understanding of the tire performance.
Eyes on Redemption
For Russell, the plan is simple: put the crash behind him and build confidence lap by lap. “These things happen,” he said. “We’ll fix the car, look at the data, and be ready for tomorrow. Singapore always throws a few surprises, so I’m not ruling anything out.”
The 2025 season has seen Russell alternating between flashes of brilliance and bouts of bad luck, and Singapore seems to be another chapter in that unpredictable story. If he can bounce back in qualifying, Friday’s “weird” moment might just be a footnote — not the headline.
