Wolff defends Russell after sprint crash forces frantic Mercedes rebuild in Singapore

George Russell crashed out of the lead of the Singapore Grand Prix Sprint on Saturday, triggering a frantic rebuild by Mercedes mechanics that left the W17 short of sensors but still fit enough for Russell to qualify sixth — before an engine penalty condemned him to start Sunday’s main race from the back of the grid.

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff admitted he was caught off guard when Russell lost control of his car on the damp Marina Bay street circuit and hit the barriers. “When I saw the yellow coming out, I didn’t think it was him, because I couldn’t imagine that George would do such a mistake,” Wolff told Sky Sports F1’s Ted Kravitz in a post-session interview. “Actually, the last one was in Singapore, I think in the race with Lewis, maybe. So that’s very, very unusual.”

Wolff was quick to contextualise the error rather than apportion blame, pointing to the treacherous conditions Russell was navigating as the race leader. “Fair enough, the power kicked in at the moment where he didn’t expect it, and he was on the white line,” the Austrian said. “Running first is always tricky, because you’re looking how fast you can go through the corners. So not at all, George can happen.”

With the gap between the Sprint and Grand Prix qualifying severely compressed, Mercedes mechanics worked through the turnaround to repair suspension and bodywork damage on the W17. The rebuild was completed in time, but Wolff acknowledged it came at a cost. “The mechanics did an unbelievable job in putting the car together, but maybe at the end we didn’t have all of the sensors on the car, and it didn’t feel as good as it did before,” he said. “So George did a really good job” to qualify sixth under those circumstances.

Teammate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, unaffected by the drama on Russell’s side of the garage, qualified fourth. Antonelli’s car is also carrying Mercedes’ controversial new aerodynamic upgrade package, which had caused significant braking instability on Friday but appeared to show more positive signs during Saturday’s running.

Russell’s grid penalty means he will have to fight through the field from last place on Sunday, leaving Antonelli as Mercedes’ primary frontrunning hope at a circuit where track position has historically been decisive.