George Russell has admitted to a "silly mistake with big consequences" after crashing out of the Sprint race at the Singapore Grand Prix while leading the field.
The British driver made an excellent start, overtaking Max Verstappen to take the lead of the 20-lap contest. From there, he appeared well placed to convert his position into a potential victory.
Treacherous Conditions Delay Start
Conditions at the Marina Bay Circuit proved treacherous. A heavy downpour shortly before the scheduled start delayed the Sprint by around 30 minutes, and even once the race got underway, some parts of the street track remained wetter and more slippery than others.
The entire pack made it through the first corner and opening lap without incident. However, at the end of the second lap, Russell emerged from the final corner and ran wide, losing the rear end of his Mercedes.
Crash Brings Out Safety Car
The car swept across the track and slammed into the wall on the start-finish straight before being pushed back across the circuit and coming to a stop near the timing line. The safety car was deployed immediately.
Russell confirmed he was uninjured and climbed out of the Mercedes under his own power. He was clearly frustrated with himself and held his hands up when he returned to the paddock, apologising to colleagues before speaking to reporters.
Russell Explains the Error
Russell confirmed that he had touched a wet painted line and lost grip as a result. He said: "Yeah, a miscalculation. I came through the corner, had more battery deployment than I thought and that pushed me a little bit wider than I hoped. And then I just went onto the white line and, yeah, a silly mistake with big consequences."
