How Mercedes staff privately reacted to George Russell’s Singapore Grand Prix win

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George Russell secured his second win of the 2025 Formula 1 season at the Singapore Grand Prix. It is a track that has not gone well for Mercedes in the past.

The Brit collected his first win since the Canadian GP, having grabbed pole position in both races. Russell and teammate Kimi Antonelli have found it difficult to extract the most from the W16, which can operate at full potential in cooler conditions.

The track temperature and humidity at the Singapore Grand Prix were expected to be a problem for Mercedes. However, it was the Silver Arrows who came out on top as Russell set a record-breaking pole lap to beat Max Verstappen.

Toto Wolff was not ‘as excited’ over Russell’s pole lap, with David Croft theorising that he may now have more difficult contract negotiations ahead. The 27-year-old still does not have a deal beyond 2025, despite the boss hinting that he will sign one.

In any case, Wolff may have been cautious about celebrating too early as there was still a race to be won. However, it could also have been due to shock, given that Singapore is supposed to be one of Mercedes’ weakest tracks.

Mercedes staff were taken by ‘surprise’ by George Russell’s win at the Singapore Grand Prix

Wolff said after the race, as per AMuS: “Singapore has never been a good track for us. If someone had told me that we would dominate here, I wouldn’t have believed them.” Russell echoed those statements, saying Singapore was ‘bottom of the list’ of tracks he felt he could win in 2025.

Yet, the Brit dominated the race, only temporarily losing the lead during the pit stops. He maintained a strong pace to secure victory, much to the ‘surprise’ of Mercedes’ technicians.

Singapore has not been a good track for the Brackley outfit in the past, having not won there before 2025 since 2018 with Lewis Hamilton. But Mercedes’ engineers had a ‘hunch’ that this year might go better, and they would be proved right.

The Marina Bay Circuit does have some characteristics that suit the W16, such as long straights and ‘lots of braking zones where you have to complete the braking manoeuvre before the driver turns in’.

Furthermore, the new asphalt allowed them to run the car lower without the fear of damaging the floor. Russell also added: “The tyres didn’t overheat as quickly as in previous years. Nevertheless, it was a surprise. We need to analyse that carefully.”

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Lewis Hamilton’s message to George Russell after his Singapore Grand Prix victory

Russell was ‘nervous’ about Verstappen starting P2 on the grid, as he opted to start the race on soft tyres. The Red Bull driver tried to gain an early advantage, but it did not pay off as he could not keep up with the Mercedes.

With Antonelli finishing P4 and Russell claiming the win, Mercedes have cemented their place in second in the constructors’ championship. They lead Ferrari by 25 points, with Red Bull just 10 points further back.

Lewis Hamilton congratulated Russell on his ‘mega’ drive to victory in Singapore. The 40-year-old finished P7 for Ferrari, but was demoted to eighth with a five-second penalty for exceeding track limits while trying to stay ahead of Fernando Alonso with a brake issue.

With Ferrari struggling to extract the maximum from the car, Mercedes have the chance to pull ahead and secure P2. Austin should present another test for the Silver Arrows.