Overview

• Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Russell’s extension is close and will be announced “soon enough,” describing the remaining issues as contract details rather than major hurdles.
• Russell’s lights-to-flag Singapore victory capped a strong season with two wins and eight podiums as he has led Mercedes following Lewis Hamilton’s move to Ferrari.
• Red Bull signaled further upgrades after recent gains, with Laurent Mekies saying “we have more coming” and Pierre Waché calling the team’s high-downforce pace a “massive positive.”
• McLaren sealed the constructors’ title in Singapore but scrutiny over its ‘Papaya Rules’ intensified after a first-lap Norris–Piastri clash, with Oscar Piastri voicing “not fair” and Guenther Steiner urging the team to back the points leader.
• Mercedes cautioned that form may vary by circuit, with Andrew Shovlin noting the car’s strengths at low-speed tracks and the need to adapt for Austin’s fast first sector, while Ferrari leadership met in Maranello to address ongoing underperformance.