The Singapore Grand Prix remains Formula One’s most punishing race. The heat sits thick in the air, the cockpit feels like an oven, and drivers emerge drenched and drained after two hours of concentration. The Marina Bay circuit allows little margin for error, its walls closing in as fatigue takes over. It is a race that tests the body as much as the car.
This year’s edition may have lacked chaos, but it still told its stories. McLaren clinched a second consecutive Constructors’ Championship, a proud milestone complicated by tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
George Russell drove with quiet authority to deliver Mercedes another victory, two years after heartbreak at the same track. Fernando Alonso fought through a slow pit stop and a wave of frustration to finish in the points, while Ferrari were once again left searching for the pace and consistency that continues to elude them.
Here are the best storylines from the race:
Russell conquers Singapore
George Russell’s victory in Singapore felt like the completion of a circle. Two years ago, on the final lap of the 2023 race, he clipped the wall at Turn 10 while chasing Lando Norris for second place, a mistake that ended his race and posed questions of his ability under pressure. The driver who returned to Marina Bay this season was different – more measured, more mature and capable of turning painful memories into mastery.
His intent was clear from qualifying. Russell extracted everything from his Mercedes with precision, placing it exactly where it needed to be and delivering a 1:29.158 lap that earned him pole ahead of Max Verstappen and Oscar Piastri. It was a lap defined by confidence and control.
The surprise came in how well the Mercedes performed. On paper, this was not a circuit expected to suit its strengths, yet the car found a balance and grip that transformed its handling. “We don’t really know where this performance came from,” Russell said. “I said yesterday that if I were to make a list of all the races I thought we could win this year, this would probably be right at the bottom.” What followed was proof of a machine that finally gave him trust – stable under braking, sharp through the corners, and kind on its tyres.
When the lights went out, Verstappen’s gamble of soft tyres brought early pressure, but Russell managed the pace with calm authority. “I was a bit nervous at the beginning when I saw Max on the softs,” he admitted, “but that first stint was great from us and we extended the gap.”
Russell crossed the line more than five seconds clear of Verstappen's Red Bull, exhausted but fulfilled at achieving the win. “It feels amazing, especially after what happened a couple of years ago. That was a missed opportunity, but we more than made up for it today.”
His teammate Kimi Antonelli marked his first Singapore Grand Prix with a confident drive to fifth, overtaking Charles Leclerc on Lap 54 as the Ferrari’s pace faded. It rounded off a successful weekend for Mercedes.
McLaren’s constructors’ triumph overshadowed
McLaren clinched their second consecutive Constructors’ Championship in Singapore – their 10th overall – confirmation of a team restored to the summit of F1. It marked another chapter in a remarkable revival, yet a night that should have been defined by unity was clouded by fresh tension between Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri.
Piastri started third on the grid behind Russell and Verstappen, while Norris lined up fifth. When the lights went out, Norris made an explosive start. As Verstappen slowed sharply into Turn 3, Norris moved to the inside to avoid contact, clipping the Red Bull’s rear in the process. That touch unsettled his McLaren, sending him wide into Piastri on the outside. The two teammates made contact, forcing Piastri off line and allowing Norris to take third place.
Piastri’s frustration came through immediately on the radio. “That wasn’t very team-like,” he said. “Are we cool with Lando just barging me out of the way?” His engineer Tom Stallard told him the team was reviewing the incident and later confirmed there would be “no action in the race” as Norris had been avoiding Verstappen. Piastri disagreed: “That’s not fair.”
The clash reignited the debate over McLaren’s papaya rules, the policy allowing both drivers to race freely without contact. It has faced scrutiny before – in Hungary, when Norris was allowed to change strategy while Piastri led, and in Monza, when Piastri was told to return a place after a pit stop delay for Norris.
Norris claimed the final podium place with Piastri fourth after a slow stop, securing McLaren the constructors’ title with six races to spare..
Ferrari falter again
Predictably, Ferrari’s weekend in Singapore failed to live up to expectations – again. On a circuit that should have suited their car, the team struggled to find balance or grip. Lewis Hamilton qualified sixth, just ahead of teammate Charles Leclerc in seventh, but both drivers were left disappointed. Leclerc called the SF-25 “unbelievably difficult” to drive, explaining that it behaved unpredictably from corner to corner. Hamilton said the pace was there but admitted the team “didn’t optimise the session.”
The race offered little improvement. Hamilton opted for a two-stop strategy, switching to soft tyres late in the race to chase Mercedes’ Kimi Antonelli for fifth. His effort ended when his brakes began to fail, forcing him to slow in the final laps. As Fernando Alonso closed in, the Aston Martin driver erupted in frustration over the radio, filled with expletives as he questioned how Hamilton was still allowed to continue. “Is it safe to drive with no brakes?” he screamed.
After the race, stewards ruled that Hamilton had gone off track several times without justifiable reasons while managing the issue, imposing a five-second penalty that dropped him from seventh to eighth behind Alonso. Leclerc finished sixth.
It was a disappointing outcome for a team expected to excel at Marina Bay, another reminder that Ferrari’s underlying inconsistency continues to hold them back.
Alonso battles through frustration
Fernando Alonso’s weekend in Singapore was a study in control and persistence. The Aston Martin came alive on the high-downforce streets of Marina Bay, and Alonso looked competitive – topping first practice and finishing fourth in FP2. “It seems a little bit better than the previous Grands Prix,” he said on Friday.
He qualified 10th and turned that into another hard-fought result on Sunday. A strong opening stint on soft tyres helped him move clear of the midfield, but a painfully slow 9.2-second pit stop dropped him back into traffic. After rejoining behind Isack Hadjar, Alonso hunted him down and reclaimed the position with authority, punctuating the move with a sardonic radio message, “Trophy for hero of the race!”. Was he mocking the rookie’s stubborn defence?
From there, he pressed on, managing pace and tyres to close on Hamilton in the final laps. He finished eighth but was promoted to seventh after Hamilton’s penalty. “The car was fast, even after the slow stop,” Alonso said. “Singapore is never easy to overtake, but we made it work.”
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Brief scores:
Arsenal 4
Xhaka 25', Lacazette 55', Ramsey 79', Aubameyang 83'
Fulham 1
Kamara 69'
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Desert Warrior
Starring: Anthony Mackie, Aiysha Hart, Ben Kingsley
Director: Rupert Wyatt
Rating: 3/5
Coming 2 America
Directed by: Craig Brewer
Starring: Eddie Murphy, Arsenio Hall, Jermaine Fowler, Leslie Jones
3/5 stars
Sinopharm vaccine explained
The Sinopharm vaccine was created using techniques that have been around for decades.
“This is an inactivated vaccine. Simply what it means is that the virus is taken, cultured and inactivated," said Dr Nawal Al Kaabi, chair of the UAE's National Covid-19 Clinical Management Committee.
"What is left is a skeleton of the virus so it looks like a virus, but it is not live."
This is then injected into the body.
"The body will recognise it and form antibodies but because it is inactive, we will need more than one dose. The body will not develop immunity with one dose," she said.
"You have to be exposed more than one time to what we call the antigen."
The vaccine should offer protection for at least months, but no one knows how long beyond that.
Dr Al Kaabi said early vaccine volunteers in China were given shots last spring and still have antibodies today.
“Since it is inactivated, it will not last forever," she said.
BMW M5 specs
Engine: 4.4-litre twin-turbo V-8 petrol enging with additional electric motor
Power: 727hp
Torque: 1,000Nm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 10.6L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh650,000
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
Silent Hill f
Publisher: Konami
Platforms: PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC
Rating: 4.5/5
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
'Shakuntala Devi'
Starring: Vidya Balan, Sanya Malhotra
Director: Anu Menon
Rating: Three out of five stars
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
Key findings of Jenkins report
- Founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, Hassan al Banna, "accepted the political utility of violence"
- Views of key Muslim Brotherhood ideologue, Sayyid Qutb, have “consistently been understood” as permitting “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” and “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
- Muslim Brotherhood at all levels has repeatedly defended Hamas attacks against Israel, including the use of suicide bombers and the killing of civilians.
- Laying out the report in the House of Commons, David Cameron told MPs: "The main findings of the review support the conclusion that membership of, association with, or influence by the Muslim Brotherhood should be considered as a possible indicator of extremism."
The Bio
Hometown: Bogota, Colombia
Favourite place to relax in UAE: the desert around Al Mleiha in Sharjah or the eastern mangroves in Abu Dhabi
The one book everyone should read: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It will make your mind fly
Favourite documentary: Chasing Coral by Jeff Orlowski. It's a good reality check about one of the most valued ecosystems for humanity
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
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Trump v Khan
2016: Feud begins after Khan criticised Trump’s proposed Muslim travel ban to US
2017: Trump criticises Khan’s ‘no reason to be alarmed’ response to London Bridge terror attacks
2019: Trump calls Khan a “stone cold loser” before first state visit
2019: Trump tweets about “Khan’s Londonistan”, calling him “a national disgrace”
2022: Khan’s office attributes rise in Islamophobic abuse against the major to hostility stoked during Trump’s presidency
July 2025 During a golfing trip to Scotland, Trump calls Khan “a nasty person”
Sept 2025 Trump blames Khan for London’s “stabbings and the dirt and the filth”.
Dec 2025 Trump suggests migrants got Khan elected, calls him a “horrible, vicious, disgusting mayor”
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
Countries recognising Palestine
France, UK, Canada, Australia, Portugal, Belgium, Malta, Luxembourg, San Marino and Andorra
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4-cyl turbo
Power: 201hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 320Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 6-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 8.7L/100km
Price: Dh133,900
On sale: now
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, (Leon banned).
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
