Singapore never disappoints. From fire and red flags to late-race rain and first-time winners, Marina Bay once again proved that survival is half the sport.
Formula 1 — Russell Rules the Night
The weekend opened in flames—Alex Albon’s brakes lit up ten minutes into FP1. By FP2, George Russell had clipped the barriers, Liam Lawson had managed it twice, and Ferrari added pit-lane drama when they released Leclerc straight into Lando Norris.
Lewis Hamilton escaped penalty for a red-flag infringement in FP3, but qualifying was pure chaos. Pierre Gasly ended Q1 in the wall, Esteban Ocon was trapped under yellows, and both Williams cars were later disqualified for a technical breach. Leclerc brushed the wall in Q2, Kimi Antonelli lost his best lap to track limits, and Russell put the Mercedes on pole. Verstappen’s drought continued—he’s never taken pole in Singapore, and Red Bull hasn’t since 2013.
Sunday night saw 18 cars on the grid, with Albon and Gasly starting from the pits. Russell launched clean, the McLarens nearly took eachother out in Turn 1 as Verstappen clipped Norris’s front wing, which ricocheted contact into Piastri. Norris carried minor damage but stayed in the fight.
Pit stops told the story of the middle stint: Bortoleto and Tsunoda blinked first, Piastri lost time to a sluggish 5.2-second stop, Alonso’s dragged to 9.2, and Hamilton’s wasn’t much better. Despite four DRS zones, traffic gaps were huge—no one close enough to use them for a good chunk of the race.
Russell was untouchable—eight seconds clear by lap 16, never really under pressure. Verstappen locked up once and let Norris close briefly, but the order never changed. Hülkenberg spun backward into the runoff, avoided damage, and pitted for fresh tires. Hadjar’s engine gremlins cost him three-to-four tenths a lap and his shot at points.
Hamilton’s brakes began to fade in the closing laps, Alonso nearly pounced, finishing within half a second. A post-race time penalty dropped Hamilton to eighth. Russell won comfortably, Verstappen held second, and Norris—despite the early contact—completed the podium.
Top 3: Russell, Verstappen, Norris
Headline: McLaren clinches the Constructors’ Championship.
F1 Academy — Block Breaks Through, Weug Strikes Back
While F1 wrestled with walls, F1 Academy brought its own storm under the Singapore lights.
Race 1 (Reverse Grid)
Lia Block started from pole. She and Aurelia Nobels both ran wide at Turn 1, but Block rejoined first and kept it. Nicole Havrda’s crash triggered an early safety car, and on the restart Block managed the field like a veteran. Behind her, Billard fell from P4 to last after contact, Chloe Chambers had a huge lock-up, and Rafaela Ferreira’s car stumbled before she was shown the black-and-orange flag. Alisha Palmowski stormed from last toward the points before crashing hard and bringing out another safety car.
Block held firm to score her first F1 Academy win, just days after turning 19. Maya Weug finished second, Chloe Chambers third.
Race 2 (Feature)
Weug and Doriane Pin shared the front row, with Pin needing a big result to close the championship. Pin got the better launch, locked up into Turn 1 but kept it together to take the lead. Behind, Block tapped the wall and dropped to the back, while Palmowski climbed from 18th to 12th before sliding wide and losing ground.
Then came the rain. With five laps to go, Palmowski gambled first for wets—after mistakenly pulling into the wrong pit box—followed by Block. Havrda went off again and retired, bringing a safety car. Much of the field boxed for wets, but the leaders stayed on slicks. Weug was noted for a pit-lane entry violation as she got caught with indecision about the box strategy, but ultimately avoided any penalties.
With one lap left, the restart came just as the wet-tire runners caught the pack. Pin hit the throttle, Weug lunged down the inside, and the move stuck. Boxing for wets proved the wrong call. Weug won, Pin finished second with fastest lap, and Ella Lloyd took the final step on the podium.
The title fight stays alive—Pin leads Weug by nine points heading into the Las Vegas finale.
The Takeaway
Singapore delivered its usual blend of sweat and spectacle. Russell was flawless, sealing Mercedes’ first win in months and confirming McLaren’s constructors’ crown. And on the Academy side, Lia Block earned her breakthrough while Maya Weug kept the championship burning.
Next up: Austin, October 17–19 — different continent, same chaos.
The Stain Sports 