Russell Takes Responsibility For Singapore Sprint Crash: “Overconfident, A Very Silly Mistake”

George Russell has taken full responsibility for the crash that ended his Singapore sprint, blaming overconfidence and calling it a very silly mistake.

Russell is already set to start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the back of the grid, which made the sprint his best chance of running at the front. Starting from second, the Mercedes driver launched brilliantly to pass Verstappen for the lead, and he handled the tough conditions well after heavy rain made some parts of the circuit harder to drive than others. He pulled around a second on Verstappen in the opening lap. But at the final corner, his right rear wheel dipped onto the white line, sending the car into a spin, and he hit the pit wall before being flung back across the track and coming to a halt.

Russell explained that he got on the throttle exiting the corner and received more power from the battery than he expected, which took him a little wide before he touched the white line. He pointed out that the number one rule in the rain is not to touch the white line, said it was his first crash of the year, and added that it was annoying to happen from that position.

Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord is confident Russell can get back into the points on Sunday. He explained the cause as a power surge at full throttle, after which the right rear wheel went onto the kerb and spun up. Repairing the car will involve swapping the rear end and the right front corner, and the team does not yet know how badly the floor is damaged. Lord said there has never been a qualifying session they needed him less for, because his starting position is already fixed, so it is fine if the car cannot be repaired in time. Russell was running the older-specification W17 to provide a direct comparison with Antonelli’s upgraded car.

Russell was not the only one caught out, as eight more drivers retired from the sprint, including McLaren’s Oscar Piastri, who collided with team mate Lando Norris.

Antonelli, meanwhile, improved from seventh on the grid to finish fourth, capitalising on the misfortune of drivers ahead. The Italian said the car felt a little better and that the team tried some things, but the window in which the package operates seems very small. He said he truly believes there is potential in the package and the team just needs to find the right balance.