Russell admits Singapore practice crash ‘a weird one’

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The Marina Bay Street Circuit threw a curveball at Mercedes driver George Russell during Friday’s second practice session for the Singapore Grand Prix, leaving the Briton scratching his head after a “weird” crash brought his evening to an abrupt halt.

With the city skyline glittering under the floodlights, just 18 minutes into FP2, Russell’s W16 locked up into Turn 16 and smacked the wall, triggering the session’s first red flag and leaving his team scrambling to assess the damage.

Russell was visibly puzzled when recounting the moment that put an early end to his evening of running.

“It was a bit of a weird one, to be honest. I'm not too sure what happened,” he explained to Sky Sports F1.

“Braked a bit earlier, went in a little bit slower, but then just lost the rear, but thankfully sort of went in front end on and didn't do too much damage, but obviously game over.

“So, yeah, a bit annoying. Sorry to the team for that, but better today than tomorrow."

Although Russell managed to limp the car back to the garage, the puncture and front wing damage decided Mercedes to retire his car.

Searching for Answers

Earlier in the day, Russell had already endured a tricky start to his weekend, clocking in only P11 in the opening practice. His FP2 setback deprived the Briton of valuable long-run data.

Still, the 26-year-old suggested the car had felt more competitive earlier in the day.

Singapore Grand Prix Free Practice 2 - Results

"FP1 was challenging, but in those early laps, I had a much better feel with the car, to be honest, and the pace seemed better,” he said.

“We didn't complete any laps, so there was no sort of real lap time on the board, but at least the sort of laps, if we took the sectors together, felt better. But as I said, it's not been our best Friday by a long way.”

Keeping Perspective

Despite the turn of events, Russell played down concerns over his prospects for the rest of the weekend. With track evolution and potential rain in the forecast, he believes qualifying and the race remain wide open.

"In Singapore, the track's always evolving, there's a bit of rain in the air, so I'm not too concerned," he added, suggesting there’s still plenty of time to turn things around before Saturday night’s all-important qualifying session.

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.