George Russell loses his lead after crashing during the rainy Singapore F1 sprint.
Mercedes racer George Russell has exited the wet Singapore GP sprint due to a crash, prompting the deployment of a safety car on the second lap.
After a halt caused by an unexpected downpour, Russell seized the lead at the wet race's onset by overtaking polesitter Max Verstappen on the inside as they approached Turn 1.
However, Russell's time in the lead was brief; he crashed in the final corner on lap two, seemingly losing control over the white line.
The collision occurred against the pitwall on the inside, and he narrowly avoided being hit by oncoming cars while crossing the track sideways, eventually halting outside the start-finish straight.
This incident led to the safety car being deployed, with Verstappen maintaining the lead during the caution period, followed closely by Lewis Hamilton, who made a strong start from sixth position, and Charles Leclerc.
Meanwhile, Aston Martin's Lance Stroll and Sergio Perez collided at turn 4, resulting in both drivers being forced out of the race.
Red Bull's Isack Hadjar and Alpine's Franco Colapinto are also retired, with Hadjar seemingly facing a power unit issue.
Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad experienced a spin and fell to 17th and last among the remaining competitors.
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