Mercedes’ Russell goes fastest in practice for smoggy Singapore GP

George Russell of Mercedes set the fastest time in the only practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix amidst smoggy conditions caused by fires in Indonesia. Charles Leclerc of Ferrari and McLaren's Lando Norris rounded out the top three. This was the first practice session held before sunset, making it an inadequate preparation for the night race that will take place tomorrow.

Russell will start from the back of the grid for the race after receiving a penalty for using too many engine components, but he can still compete for pole position in today's sprint race. The race is set to be physically challenging due to the extreme heat and humidity, with drivers potentially losing up to 3kg (6lb) from sweating alone.

Brief written by urgent.news from Malay Mail's own syndicated text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.