George Russell dominated from pole position in an unexpectedly competitive silver-and-black Mercedes W16. Singapore wasn’t expected to be a strong track for the car, but the British driver appeared unbeatable. Kimi Antonelli also impressed, finishing fifth after a difficult start, while Toto Wolff remains confident about Mercedes securing second place in the Constructors’ Championship.
“Why did we win? You tell me…” Toto Wolff joked. Of all the circuits he would have listed at the start of the season as favorable for a Mercedes comeback, Marina Bay would have been near the bottom. Instead, Mercedes didn’t just win — they dominated, delivering everything required at critical moments.
Russell delivers a masterclass
George Russell, in a ‘Verstappen-style’ performance, nailed qualifying with surgical precision. Twenty-four hours later, he executed the start with the same composure, then switched into a relentless pace reminiscent of Lewis Hamilton’s trademark ‘hammer mode.’
Hamilton had been the last Mercedes driver to achieve both pole and race victory at Marina Bay in 2018. Since then, Mercedes had only experienced underwhelming or unlucky weekends. “We don’t have a strong tradition at this track,” Wolff commented. “If you had described this weekend’s scenario to me a few days ago, I would have smiled — I wouldn’t have believed it. But from the start, both car and driver were perfectly in sync. George was unbeatable today.”
Performance not taken for granted
The dominance of Russell and Mercedes before the race wasn’t a given. Even the team had many questions about the 62-lap event. “We didn’t really know what to expect in terms of pace,” admitted trackside team principal Andrew Shovlin. “We had no long-run data because there were no race simulations on Friday. But now I can say it was truly encouraging to see George create a solid gap in the first stint.”
One concern for the Mercedes engineers was the rear tyre temperatures potentially exceeding the ideal operating window. “When we saw that the values stabilized within range, it was a huge relief,” Shovlin added.
Russell’s value and Mercedes’ strategy
While Mercedes works to understand the factors behind their Singapore performance, one certainty is George Russell. After the race, Wolff repeated his usual mantra heard in recent weeks: “It’s just a matter of details, but we’ll sign off.” However, this time, waiting wasn’t a good strategy for the Austrian team principal.
Russell may not have alternatives, but he can now push the limits and bring concrete arguments to the table. His fourth place in the Drivers’ Championship is now solid (+64 over Charles Leclerc), and his contribution is key for Mercedes in their fight for second in the Constructors’ standings.
Wolff could have locked Russell down long ago, but the impression now is that George is increasingly willing to take the reins. His market value has grown substantially, so it makes sense not to tie him down long-term given the uncertainties heading into the 2026 season.
Antonelli impresses despite setbacks
Kimi Antonelli also had a positive weekend in Singapore. “Anyone who knows him knows he always sees the glass half empty,” Wolff smiled. “I’m sure he’s thinking about Q3, which didn’t go as planned and cost him a front-row start, and the start, which cost him two positions. But I also see a strong performance. The overtake on Leclerc was very decisive. We didn’t see it clearly on the broadcast, but telemetry showed how hard he braked — he applied so much pressure that it caused oscillations in the system.”
Mercedes’ outlook for the Constructors’ fight
Mercedes leaves Singapore with their second victory of the season and the confidence that they can contend for second in the Constructors’ Championship. “It was fun to fight for the win again,” Shovlin concluded. “Now we face hard work if we want to maintain second place. The battle with Ferrari and Red Bull will be interesting, and I believe we’ll have something to say right up to the chequered flag in Abu Dhabi.”
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