Russell crashes out of Singapore sprint, drops to back of grid
A wet track caused Russell to spin into barriers, ending his sprint race and forcing a rear‑grid start for the main Grand Prix.
By Felo News Desk · Published
George Russell crashed on the final lap of the Singapore sprint race on Monday, ending his challenge and condemning him to start the Sunday Grand Prix from the back of the grid, according to Independent reports.
What happened
After a rain‑showered qualifying session, Russell led the sprint from the start, overtaking pole‑sitter Max Verstappen off the line. He maintained the lead through lap one, but a wet exit from the final corner saw his Mercedes dip onto the white line, lose grip and strike the barriers. The car spun, re‑entered the track and stalled, allowing rivals to pass. Lewis Hamilton recovered three places off the line to finish second, while Kimi Antonelli, despite a slower pace, was promoted to fourth.
What the reports add
The Independent noted that the crash followed a pre‑sprint rainstorm that left the street circuit slippery. Both versions of the article describe Russell’s radio apology – “Sorry, sorry, sorry” – and his later comment to Sky Sports calling the incident a “silly mistake” with “big consequences”. The reports also mention that the crash forces Russell to start the Sunday race from the back after an engine change, a penalty already confirmed in earlier Felo coverage.
What was said
"Sorry, sorry, sorry," Russell said over the team radio, as quoted by the Independent. He later told Sky Sports that the error was "silly" and carried "big consequences" for his title hopes.
How it came about
Russell entered Singapore after a power‑unit failure in Bahrain that triggered a mandatory engine change, a story covered by Felo in George Russell to start Singapore Grand Prix from back after Bahrain engine failure. Earlier that week he topped the sole practice session (George Russell tops Singapore Grand Prix practice) and had secured sprint pole in the previous race in Malaysia before a late power‑unit failure (George Russell Secures Pole in Azerbaijan). The wet conditions that contributed to his crash contrasted with his strong qualifying performance in Singapore, where he was only 0.12 seconds off Verstappen’s pole time (Verstappen beats Russell for Singapore sprint pole).
Key facts
- Russell crashed on the final lap of the Singapore sprint race after slipping on a wet exit line. (independent.co.uk)
- He led the sprint from the start, having overtaken pole‑sitter Max Verstappen off the line. (independent.co.uk)
- Lewis Hamilton finished second in the sprint, moving up three places from the start. (independent.co.uk)
- Russell will start the Sunday Grand Prix from the back of the grid due to an engine change. (independent.co.uk)
Timeline
- 2026-10-06 — Russell receives engine penalty forcing rear‑grid start in Singapore.
- 2026-10-09 — Russell tops Singapore practice session.
- 2026-10-09 — Verstappen takes sprint pole, Russell 0.12s slower.
