Mercedes mechanic caught watching football during Russell's Singapore GP win

A video showing a Mercedes F1 mechanic watching football during the Singapore Grand Prix has gone viral on social media.

George Russell claimed his second race victory of the season in Singapore beating Max Verstappen and the two McLaren drivers in what was a relatively routine win for the Brit.

Having taken pole position on the Saturday, none of the three championship protagonists had the pace to seriously threaten Russell for the win during Sunday's race, and the lack of on-track battles for the 27-year-old looks to have influenced one Mercedes mechanic.

In a video that has been widely circulating on X, one team member can be seen watching the East Anglia derby between Ipswich Town and Norwich City in the EFL Championship.

For the first time since 2009, recently relegated Ipswich claimed victory over their closest rivals, winning 3-1, in a match which overlapped with the Singapore GP.

Russell proving his worth

Russell's win further cemented fourth place for the Brit in this year's drivers' championship.

He has claimed eight podiums all-told across the season, and is only 36 points behind four-time world champion Verstappen.

It has arguably been the best season of his career so far, stepping up to lead the team following the departure of seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton.

Russell has taken on that extra responsibility with aplomb, guiding teenage rookie Kimi Antonelli while putting in some exceptional performances of his own.

Yet neither Russell nor Antonelli have been given new contracts as of yet for the 2026 season, and as it stands both of them would be dropping off the grid following the 2025 Abu Dhabi GP.

However, team principal Toto Wolff has assured that Russell and Antonelli will be Mercedes' drivers in 2026, and that it is just taking some time to get the contracts officially over the line.

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