What happened: George Russell bolted on soft tyres with 10 minutes remaining to jump to P1 in practice for the Singapore Grand Prix. The late run temporarily put Mercedes at the top of the timing sheets.

Why it matters: The single-lap pace offers an early positive as Mercedes experiments with a split-specification strategy. The team is already working from a disadvantage, as the car will start at the back of the grid on Sunday following an engine failure in Malaysia.

What to watch: The garage will likely shift focus toward long-run pace to help navigate traffic during the race.