The weekend began with the familiar pattern in the practice sessions. During FP1, it was Fernando Alonso who topped the sheet with a 1:31.116 s lap, ahead of Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen.

But by FP2, attention shifted as Oscar Piastri, championship leader for McLaren F1 Team, topped the times with a 1:30.714 s, just ahead of youngster Isack Hadjar and Verstappen. Meanwhile, Piastri’s teammate Lando Norris had a quieter session, registering a best of 1:31.197 s and placing fifth in FP2.

The practice sessions hinted at two crucial takeaways. First, that McLaren looked strong in race-pace terms: they were effective in the dirty air, managing to post competitive simulation times and control their weekend. As one forum commenter put it:

“McLaren probably still had the best car in the race … Singapore seemed to really enhance the dirty air effect, yet McLaren seemed to perform the best.”

However, while McLaren looked race-ready, they might be missing a beat in outright qualifying pace. a trend that would soon impact their weekend.

When qualifying arrived, it was George Russell who stole the show. He drove the Mercedes-AMG F1 W16 E Performance car. Russell was followed by Verstappen (+0.182 s) and Piastri (+0.366 s). Norris qualified fifth, behind his teammate but ahead of some title contenders.

Mercedes had found something, and McLaren, while strong in race trim, was going to have to battle from slightly behind on the grid. A worrying sign when overtaking under the lights on a tight street circuit is notoriously difficult.

Sunday brought everything a street-Grand-Prix should deliver: heat, strategic gambles, and intra-team friction. Russell converted pole to win, a carefully controlled race which underlined his maturity and the W15’s pace.

Piastri and Norris both entered the weekend as title hopefuls for McLaren but left with more questions than answers.

Russell’s win reflected Mercedes’ resurgence: he pulled away in the early laps, managed traffic cleanly, and finished ahead of Verstappen. Russell was the clear winner of the weekend: “It feels like we heard George Russell’s name twice during the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix: Once at the start … and once as he brought his Mercedes home to the victory.”

McLaren, on the other hand, was the talk of the race. At the very first turn, Norris made an aggressive move that bumped Piastri at Turn Three while also clipping Verstappen. The incident was flagged in forums and media alike. Piastri’s frustration was visible, stating after the race, "There are always consequences, you can be selfish, but it's not always going to work."

While neither driver was penalised by the stewards for the contact, what followed internally at McLaren raised eyebrows. This wasn’t just a one-off “racing incident”; the so-called “Papaya Rule” appeared to come into play. Discussions behind the scenes began about the alignment of team goals versus driver ambition.

And whilst McLaren secured the Constructors’ Championship with six races still remaining, the victory lap came with a caveat. The euphoria of the title masked the fragile driver dynamic. 

Securing the team title would normally be cause for unalloyed celebration, yet in Singapore, the headline was the internal fraying at McLaren. Norris acknowledged full responsibility for his role in the incident with Piastri, while team principal Andrea Stella confirmed that disciplinary measures were in place, though undisclosed.

The tension begs asking: when two teammates are both fighting for the same drivers’ crown, how can the team keep them playing for the same banner rather than against each other?

Analyses post-race highlighted deeper implications: if McLaren cannot reconcile the internal tension, it could harm their championship momentum, even if the car remains competitive.

At other teams, Mercedes breathed a sigh of relief;  their long winters of development seemed to be paying off. Ferrari, meanwhile, looked increasingly uneasy. Leclerc admitted his team “struggled massively with the car, it’s not easy”.

With the weekend at Marina Bay done, everyone’s turned their focus to the next stop: the 2025 United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. The paddock knows the season is entering its final stretch, and fine margins will determine championships.

With the Singapore Grand Prix delivering what the fans crave, it reaffirmed that the championship fight is still wide open, even as the constructors’ outcome was sealed. Amidst the flash of podiums and the glow of city lights, the deeper story this weekend is not about the winner, but about how teams handle pressure, ambition, and internal consensus.

For McLaren, the celebration is tempered; the real test lies ahead. For Mercedes and Red Bull, the race is far from over. As the circus rolls into Austin, the echoes of Singapore will linger: the alliances, the infractions, the unspoken tensions, they’ll all matter.

In six races' time, we may look back at Marina Bay not just as the night where Russell returned to the top step, but as the night where the gears shifted beneath the surface. F1’s 2025 finale is shaping up to be far more than just about speed; it’s about psychology, strategy, and survival under lights.