George Russell wins F1's Singapore GP as McLaren secures constructors' title

SINGAPORE (AP) — McLaren was crowned Formula 1's top team at the Singapore Grand Prix on a tricky day for all three of the main contenders for the drivers' title.

George Russell won the race in dominant style Sunday as McLaren secured the Formula 1 constructors’ championship with six races to go.

Russell stayed in control from pole position to take his and Mercedes' second win of the year ahead of Red Bull's Max Verstappen, who held off Lando Norris for second place despite struggling with car problems.

Verstappen may have got the better of the two McLaren drivers, but it was little help to his title defense, since he didn't make significant inroads into their large points advantage.

Norris said it was “a shame” to spend much of the race staring at the back of Verstappen's car, while standings leader Oscar Piastri was aggrieved over Norris colliding with him as he overtook at the start.

“We don’t really know where this performance came from,” admitted Russell, who said he'd expected Mercedes to struggle on Singapore's tight, twisty street circuit.

It was a personal milestone for Russell, who crashed on the last lap while fighting for the podium places in Singapore in 2023.

“It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago. It was a bit of a missed opportunity, but we more than made up for it today," he said.

Norris banged wheels with his McLaren teammate Piastri, who finished fourth, as he overtook at the start. Piastri complained to the team over the radio about Norris' driving.

“Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” the Australian asked.

"I had a small correction but nothing more than that. It was good racing," Norris said after the race.

Norris cut into Piastri’s standings lead for the third race in a row. The Australian now leads Norris by 22 points, with Verstappen 41 further back.

Piastri finished outside the top three in back-to-back races for the first time since the Australian Grand Prix in March.

Russell’s teammate Kimi Antonelli recovered to finish fifth after a poor start. Lewis Hamilton was closing on the Italian near the end when the brakes on the seven-time champion’s Ferrari failed.

Leclerc in the other Ferrari then passed Hamilton for sixth. The British driver only just held onto seventh in his ailing car ahead of Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso, but lost the place anyway after getting a five-second penalty for going off-track while struggling with his brake problem.

That lifted Alonso to seventh and dropped Hamilton to eighth, while Oliver Bearman was ninth for Haas and Carlos Sainz, Jr. took a point in 10th despite having to start near the back of the grid for a technical infringement.

It was the first F1 race to be officially declared a “heat hazard” by the governing body, the FIA, under new rules that came in this season.

The heat and humidity in Singapore have long been a challenge for drivers, who were required to have cooling equipment fitted in their cars. Some, like Verstappen, chose not to wear the associated cooling vest.

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain powers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain kisses his trophy as he celebrates after winning the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands steers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Mercedes driver George Russell of Britain leads the field after the start during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, Sunday, Oct. 5, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen of the Netherlands in action during the qualifying for the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix at the Marina Bay Street Circuit in Singapore, Saturday, Oct. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — Sepp Straka made three birdies and two eagles on the par 5s for an 8-under 64 and seized on some late misses by Scottie Scheffler to take a one-shot lead Saturday going into the final round of the Hero World Challenge.

Straka chipped in for eagle on the par-5 sixth and played great golf just to keep pace with Scheffler, who had five straight 3s on his scorecard to start the third round and was 9 under for his round through 15 holes.

Scheffler, going for a third straight win at Albany Golf Club, has stumbled over the final three holes every day this week — a double bogey on the 16th on Thursday, a bogey on the 16th on Friday, and then a bogey-par-bogey finish.

He still had a 65 and will be in the final group with Straka on Sunday.

Straka seized on the par 5s. Along with his chip-in on the sixth hole, he holed an 18-foot eagle putt on the downwind, par-5 15th. He also hit a 3-wood that landed perfectly in front of the green at the par-5 ninth that rolled out to 15 feet for a two-putt birdie.

He trailed Scheffler by three shots through five holes, and by two shots with four holes left. But Straka was bogey-free on the day and finished at 18-under 198.

“He definitely got it going quick,” Straka said of the world's No. 1 player. “It didn’t look like he was going to miss a putt there for a little bit. But it’s golf, it usually evens out a lot and I just tried to focus on my own game.”

The only par 4 that Straka birdied was No. 7, where the tee was moved back. That kept players from trying to drive the green and instead tested them with a wedge to a dangerous back-left pin. Straka took it on and hit it to 7 feet.

Scheffler, who went left of the 16th fairway the opening two rounds — one of those leading to a penalty drop from a bush — this time found the short grass and it wasn't much better. He had an awkward stance, tugged it left into a bunker and the ball buried in the sand, leading to bogey.

He also dropped a shot on the 18th by missing the green to the right — water is left — leaving a tricky pitch up the slope.

“A few unfortunate breaks, but overall did some really good stuff,” Scheffler said.

Alex Noren (67) and Hideki Matsuyama (68) were three shots behind Straka, while J.J. Spaun and Wyndham Clark each shot 69 and were four behind.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Hideki Matsuyama, of Japan, studies his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts to making a birdie on the fourth hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Scottie Scheffler, of the United States, reacts after the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, reacts after his putt on the 18th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at Albany Golf Club in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)

Sepp Straka, of Austria, watches his hit from the sand on the 6th hole during the third round of the Hero World Challenge PGA Tour at the Albany Golf Club, in New Providence, Bahamas, Saturday, Dec. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Fernando Llano)