George Russell took victory at the Singapore Grand Prix as he dominated the night streets, while McLaren secured the Constructors' title, but Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris tangled on the opening lap, causing tension between the two championship contenders.
Max Verstappen finished the race in second despite struggling with his Red Bull, and Norris came home in third as both closed in on championship leader Piastri, who came home in fourth.
Rain threatened the start of the race as a downpour around an hour before lights out left the track slippery in the opening stages.
Red Bull gambled by putting Verstappen on the soft tyre for the start, hoping to jump the Mercedes driver into the lead, but that did not go to plan and he began to struggle much earlier than his rivals.
McLaren claimed the Constructor's Championship despite colliding on the opening lap
|REUTERS
The right-hand side of the grid was the much better side for the start of the race, and Piastri ended up alongside Verstappen, but after being forced wide, Norris seized his chance to jump on the opportunity.
The McLaren duo made contact one corner later as the Briton made the crucial dive, bumping his way past his Australian teammate and hitting the back of Verstappen, picking up wing damage in the process.
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Norris came into the weekend not feeling well, but as the weekend progressed, the 25-year-old found his groove around the temporary track and gapped his teammate in the opening laps of the race following the collision.
McLaren began the weekend only needing their drivers to place within the top seven places to secure the Constructor’s Championship, and with the results they secured, they have now won the teams' championship earlier than any constructor in history, but cracks are beginning to show within the team.
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George Russell took a second win of the season in Singapore
|REUTERS
Up until this point, the Woking-based team have used their "Papaya Rules" as a way to keep their two championship contenders in check, but after the collision on the opening lap, the Australian was left furious.
Piastri blasted Norris on the radio when the team decided to take no further action following the incident, saying: “If he needs to crash into his teammate to avoid another car then that’s a pretty s**t job of avoiding,” as frustration started to show in the heat of the night.
Late in the race, Norris put Verstappen under a lot of pressure as they made their way through lapped cars, but due to the tight nature of the street circuit, the Briton could not find his way through.
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The heat caused issues on the pit lane throughout the night as Lewis Hamilton, Fernando Alonso, and Piastri all had slow stops, but the Australian was able to maintain position.
Hamilton has had a difficult time away from the racetrack as he revealed that his beloved dog Roscoe had died between races.
Adding to his issues this season with Ferrari, he has yet to stand on the podium for the Scuderia, and this weekend, neither he nor Charles Leclerc was able to get anywhere near the top three.
Oscar Piastri was left furious after his teammate made contact with him during the Singapore Grand Prix
|REUTERS
Nico Hulkenberg had a scary moment late in the race as he went spinning down the run-off area at the highest speed point of the circuit as he locked the rear brakes; luckily for the Kick Sauber driver, he was able to keep his car out of the wall.
The drivers will now have a week off before heading to the Circuit of the Americas in Texas for the US Grand Prix as the title race gets closer.
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