The Singapore Grand Prix sprint format severely tested the limits of the Mercedes-AMG Petronas garage. After George Russell made a rare, costly mistake and crashed his W17 into the barriers out of the lead during Saturday's wet-weather Sprint race, the factory mechanics were forced to execute a massive, frantic rebuild just to get the car ready for evening Grand Prix qualifying.
George Russell, Mercedes
Despite the incredibly tight turnaround window, George Russell remarkably managed to secure sixth place on the grid in the hastily repaired machine, while his team-mate Kimi Antonelli locked down a fourth-place start. However, because George Russell is already facing a mandatory engine penalty, he will be forced to start Sunday's main event from the very back of the pack.
During a post-session interview with Sky Sports F1, Mercedes-AMG Petronas team principal Toto Wolff admitted he was completely caught off guard when George Russell threw his car into the wall during the earlier Sprint.
"When I saw the yellow coming out, I didn't think it was him, because I couldn't imagine that George Russell would do such a mistake, because it happened for a long time," Wolff explained. "Actually, the last one was in Singapore, I think in the race with Lewis Hamilton, maybe. So that's very, very unusual."
However, the Austrian team boss refused to place the blame entirely on his veteran driver's shoulders, pointing out how treacherous the damp street circuit was at the time.
"Fair enough, you know, the power kicked in at the moment where he didn't expect it, and he was on the white line," Wolff defended. "Running first is always tricky, because you're looking how fast you can go through the corners. So not at all, George Russell can happen."
George Russell currently sits 2nd in the drivers' championship with 236 points, while Mercedes-AMG Petronas leads the constructors' standings with 561 points.
Source: Motorsport
