Verstappen wins chaotic Singapore sprint after Russell crashes

Singapore: Max Verstappen secured a win in the wet Singapore sprint race for Red Bull on Saturday, following George Russell's crash at the end of the opening lap. Verstappen outpaced Lewis Hamilton by 2.50 seconds, with Charles Leclerc taking third place. Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren finished fourth and fifth after their McLarens touched and spun on the final lap.

A shower 10 minutes before the scheduled start led to a 30-minute delay, with all cars commencing on intermediate tyres. The field began two formation laps behind the safety car before the standing start. Russell, who started on the front row alongside pole-sitter Verstappen, gained better position but lost control after touching a white line, sliding into the pit lane wall and triggering the safety car.

This setback added to Russell's season of misfortunes, as he will start the upcoming grand prix from the back of the grid due to engine penalties. Russell admitted to Sky Sports that his mistake came through the corner, with excessive battery deployment, pushing him wider than expected, leading to the collision. Hamilton, starting sixth on the grid, finished second after overtaking Ferrari's Leclerc and McLaren's Norris and Piastri.

Kimi Antinelli benefited most from the incident, as Norris and Piastri's collision on the last lap allowed him to inherit fourth place, starting from seventh on the grid. Fifth place went to RB's Liam Lawson, sixth to Haas' Oliver Bearman, seventh to Audi's Nico Hulkenberg, and eighth to Norris, rounding out the points scorers.