By Alex Rhodes

McLaren claimed back to back Constructors Championships as Mercedes’ George Russell took the top step of the Singapore Grand Prix.

George Russell displayed all his racing acumen this weekend as he cruised to victory under the lights of Singapore, beating Red Bull’s Max Verstappen by 5.4 seconds.

The Dutchman was unable to mount a serious challenge against the dominant Mercedes driver.

However, this weekend will be remembered not for Russell’s triumph, but for McLaren’s historic achievement, securing their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, the first time they’ve done so since 1991.

Yet, it wasn’t all smooth sailing for the Woking-based team.

On Lap 1, at Turn 3, chaos struck as Lando Norris made contact with Verstappen’s Red Bull, forcing him into teammate Oscar Piastri’s car.

The championship leader, clearly frustrated, vented over team radio: “If he has to avoid another car by crashing into his teammate, that’s a pretty **** job of avoiding… that’s not fair, that’s not fair.”

McLaren took no further action, with CEO Zak Brown later describing the exchange as “hard” but “tough” racing.

With the Constructors’ title now secured and the championship lead down to just 22 points between Piastri and Norris, McLaren’s so-called “papaya rules” will be tested to their limits in the remaining six races, especially with Verstappen now only 63 points adrift of the top spot.

While Russell dominated up front, attention soon turned to the midfield, where Mercedes rookie Andrea Kimi Antonelli was locked in an intense battle with Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Lewis Hamilton.

After qualifying fourth, Antonelli dropped two places at the start but fought back with a daring overtake on Leclerc on Lap 54 to reclaim fifth.

Despite the strong showing, Antonelli was self-critical post-race: “We could have achieved more tonight, but fifth is still okay.

“The start was difficult, it defined the race a bit.

“As we’ve seen before, track position is crucial. I lost a couple of places at the start and then got stuck behind Leclerc.”

Ferrari’s race came undone in the closing laps.

Hamilton, on fresh soft tyres, managed to overtake Leclerc and close up rapidly on Antonelli.

But with sparks flying from his brake discs signaled a serious issue, a brake failure that forced him to slow dramatically.

In just two and a half laps, his 40-second advantage over Fernando Alonso evaporated to a mere 0.4 seconds.

A subsequent five-second penalty for excessive corner cutting dropped him behind Alonso at the finish.

Despite the setback, Hamilton remained upbeat: “We got the strategy right, but the brake issue set us back just when momentum was building.

“We’ll head back to the factory, learn from this, and focus on the next one. I’m proud of this team and want to deliver the results they and the Tifosi deserve.”

Alonso benefited from Hamilton’s penalty, elevating his Aston Martin to seventh after a challenging race that included a slow pit stop and traffic issues.

Still, the veteran used all his experience to claw back through the field, passing Racing Bulls driver Isack Hadjar, who battled engine issues sarcastically describing him as the “hero of the race” over the radio.

Rounding out the top 10 were Haas’ Ollie Bearman in ninth and Carlos Sainz in tenth.

Although tenth might seem disappointing after a podium in Baku, Sainz’s recovery from eighteenth aided by both Williams cars being disqualified for illegal rear wings, was commendable, securing the team another crucial point.

Just outside the top 10, Hadjar finished eleventh after enduring two separate engine issues that cost him several tenths per lap.

He was followed by Yuki Tsunoda and Lance Stroll, as all 20 drivers remarkably reached the chequered flag in what was a surprisingly drama-free race overall.

This weekend’s result tightens the championship fight even further, with the gap between McLaren’s top two drivers now just 22 points.

Piastri hasn’t beaten Norris since Zandvoort and as the season heads into its final stretch, every race will count.

Next up is the fan-favourite United States Grand Prix in Texas.

With its iconic first sector inspired by Suzuka’s sweeping curves, it promises thrilling action once again.

You won’t want to miss it.