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- Lewis Hamilton criticises younger F1 drivers<\/strong> for being increasingly cautious about racing in wet conditions.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- George Russell believes another engine penalty may be necessary<\/strong> after the Singapore GP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Isack Hadjar wants cooling vests banned, while Max Verstappen questions their effectiveness as Singapore prepares for extreme heat.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
Formula 1’s final preparations for the Singapore GP produced several major stories on Thursday, October 8, with Lewis Hamilton questioning the younger generation’s attitude towards wet-weather racing and George Russell warning that Mercedes may face another engine penalty before the end of 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Elsewhere, Isack Hadjar and Max Verstappen criticised Formula 1’s cooling equipment, Mercedes committed to comparing two different aerodynamic specifications and Audi insisted its factory programme remains secure despite Volkswagen’s financial difficulties.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hamilton criticises younger drivers over wet-weather racing<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hamilton believes younger Formula 1 drivers and race officials have become too cautious about competing in the rain, following the chaotic start at Sepang last weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cUs old-school drivers are like \u2018let’s get racing\u2019, and more of the youngsters are like \u2018let’s not race\u2019,\u201d Hamilton said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The seven-time world champion argued that difficult conditions allow drivers to demonstrate their abilities<\/strong>, although he acknowledged the additional risks involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Hamilton’s criticism of younger F1 drivers<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell fears another engine penalty after Singapore<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Russell has admitted that his engine penalty at Marina Bay may not be his last this season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Mercedes driver believes Singapore is the second-worst circuit after Monaco for serving a grid penalty<\/strong>, but the failure that forced him to retire at Sepang left the team with little choice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe’ll probably have to take another one down the line as well,\u201d Russell said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Briton trails teammate Kimi Antonelli by 84 points and faces a difficult recovery on Sunday, although he can still compete normally in Saturday’s sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read why Russell could face another engine penalty in 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
![\"F1](\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/f1-2026-bahrein-malasia-treinos-livres-mercedes-george-russell-01-2-1024x576.jpg\")
George Russell (Photo: Mercedes)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n Hadjar wants cooling vests banned<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hadjar has called for Formula 1’s cooling vests to be removed, arguing that coping with extreme temperatures is part of the challenge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI think it should be banned. Because it’s supposed to be tough,\u201d the Red Bull driver said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Verstappen also questioned the system, complaining that its cables restrict movement and that the cooling effect does not last throughout a Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The comments come after the FIA activated its heat hazard regulations for Singapore<\/strong>, requiring teams to prepare cooling systems for the sprint and Grand Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Hadjar and Verstappen’s criticism of F1 cooling vests<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes splits W17 specifications after Sepang setback<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes will run different aerodynamic specifications at Singapore as it attempts to establish whether its latest upgrade delivered the expected performance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Russell will return to the previous W17 package<\/strong>, while Antonelli retains the specification introduced in Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cActually I instigated the conversation prior to the race on Sunday,\u201d Russell said, confirming that he had proposed the comparison before his engine failure at Sepang.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read why Mercedes decided to compare its old and new W17 packages<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Audi insists F1 programme is secure despite Volkswagen crisis<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Audi CEO Gernot D\u00f6llner has rejected concerns that Volkswagen’s financial difficulties could threaten the manufacturer’s Formula 1 operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The German automotive group is undergoing substantial restructuring, including plans for approximately 50,000 job cuts<\/strong>, but D\u00f6llner insists the F1 project has independent financing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe project is completely independent,\u201d he told Sport Bild<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Audi remains committed to becoming a championship contender by 2030.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read how Audi intends to protect its F1 programme<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Norris identifies McLaren’s straight-line weakness<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Norris has acknowledged that McLaren continues to struggle with straight-line performance after a disappointing Malaysian GP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere were some obvious ones, such as the straight-line speed and the issues I’ve been having with the car,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The reigning champion hopes Singapore’s shorter straights will reduce that disadvantage, although McLaren still needs to confirm its competitiveness on track.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Read Norris’ explanation of McLaren’s performance problems<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Singapore GP takes place from October 9-11<\/a><\/strong>, with FP1 and sprint qualifying on Friday, the sprint on Saturday and the Grand Prix on Sunday. GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> follows the latest Formula 1<\/a><\/strong> news throughout the Singapore GP weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What time is Singapore GP sprint qualifying today?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sprint qualifying starts at 20:30 Singapore time on Friday, October 9, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 ET in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India. The session determines the starting grid for Saturday’s sprint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Who was fastest in Singapore GP FP1?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
George Russell topped FP1 with a 1:32.274, driving Mercedes’ older W17 aerodynamic specification. Charles Leclerc finished second, 0.198s behind, followed by Lando Norris in third. Kimi Antonelli was seventh with the upgraded Mercedes, while Gabriel Bortoleto finished 16th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is George Russell using the old Mercedes at the Singapore GP?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Mercedes is comparing its previous W17 specification with the aerodynamic upgrade introduced at Sepang. Russell is using the older package, while championship leader Kimi Antonelli retains the new version. Russell led FP1, but differences in tyre compounds and run programmes mean the result alone does not establish which specification is faster.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What time is F1 sprint qualifying in Singapore?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Sprint qualifying takes place on Friday, October 9, at 20:30 Singapore time<\/strong>, equivalent to 13:30 BST in the UK, 08:30 EDT in the United States and Canada, and 18:00 IST in India.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Lewis Hamilton criticises the younger generation’s reluctance to race in the rain, while George Russell faces further engine trouble and Red Bull drivers question the FIA’s cooling rules ahead of Singapore<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020316172,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Lewis Hamilton","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Ferrari","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[5],"tags":[17,63,248],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-3629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-f1","tag-george-russell","tag-lewis-hamilton","tag-singapore-gp","42wp_author-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3629"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3629\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3630,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3629\/revisions\/3630"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020316172"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3629"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
- George Russell believes another engine penalty may be necessary<\/strong> after the Singapore GP.<\/li>\n\n\n\n