George Russell owned the streets of the 2025 Singapore GP from lights out to the chequered flag. Max Verstappen and Lando Norris rounded out the podium after a tense, strategic race that had its moments, not least from McLaren themselves. Still, the race ultimately ended with the Woking squad sealing the 2025 Constructors’ Championship.
Green Flag and Early Drama
From the very start, the 2025 Singapore GP had intrigue. Through Turns 1 and 2, Norris and teammate Oscar Piastri made contact while jostling for position. Piastri was just inches from the wall, managing to save it, but wasn’t happy about the “teamwork.” He voiced his frustration over the team radio for several laps. Both McLaren and the Stewards chalked it up as a racing incident, though the team confirmed the discussion would continue post-race.
Up front, Russell made the most of his pole position, while Verstappen’s decision to start on Softs did not give him an advantage. He quickly fell into tire management mode, and the front four began to pull away. Behind them, Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton ran fifth and seventh, with Kimi Antonelli wedged neatly between them.
Strategy Doesn’t Change the Order
The first round of pit stops began with Yuki Tsunoda and Red Bull rolling the dice early, triggering a slow trickle of stops from others. Still, most of the front-runners, the McLarens, the Ferraris, and the Mercedes duo stayed out longer.
Once the pit calls had played out, things looked almost identical to what they were before the stops. Russell led comfortably ahead of Verstappen, with Norris and Piastri next in line. Leclerc stayed ahead of Antonelli and Hamilton, while Liam Lawson, Fernando Alonso, and Carlos Sainz filled out the top ten.
Mid-Race Traffic and Hulkenberg’s Yellow
Lap 44 nearly changed everything. Nico Hülkenberg locked up heavily and spun, threatening a safety car, but managed to recover before race control needed to intervene. As racing continued, lapped traffic began to complicate matters for the leaders. Verstappen, now wrestling with a downshift issue, was forced to balance defense against Norris while threading through the slower cars.
Hamilton Gambles, Norris Charges
Hamilton dove in on Lap 47 for a fresh set of Softs, a move that showed Ferrari wanted him to attack late for more points. It worked initially; by Lap 52, he closed the gap to Antonelli from fourteen seconds down to just nine, then slipped past Leclerc on Lap 56 to go to P6. But his charge was nullified with a lock-up at the final chicane. Hamilton then radioed that his brakes were gone. The drop-off was immediate, allowing Leclerc to retake the spot before the checkered flag.
Meanwhile, Norris was all over Verstappen. He got within 0.6s by Lap 52 and made a brave attempt on Lap 53, but Verstappen’s defense was immaculate. Even with DRS in the final laps, Norris couldn’t find a way past.
Midfield Moves and Rookie Highlights
Antonelli showed the talent Toto Wolff hoped for this season. He calmly overtook Leclerc earlier in the race and kept Hamilton behind despite the late-race pressure. Isack Hadjar, despite an early engine issue, held on in the points until Sainz, on fresh Softs, got past with three laps to go. The Spaniard’s climb from P18 to P10 gave Williams something to celebrate after the disappointments from Qualifying.
Checkered Flag and Championships
As the final lap unfolded, Russell kept his cool out front while Verstappen resisted every attempt from Norris to unsettle him. Russell, Verstappen, and Norris took to the podium as the race came to a finish.
Behind them, Piastri, Antonelli, Leclerc, Hamilton, Alonso, Bearman, and Sainz rounded out the Top 10. And while Russell took the trophy under the Singapore lights, McLaren took something bigger: the 2025 Constructors’ Championship.
With a week off before the next race weekend in Austin, Texas, there is definitely a lot to talk about after the 2025 Singapore GP.
Feature Image Credit: EverythingF1