2025 Singapore GP Raceday Preview

Now, it is time for James Punt’s 2025 Singapore GP Raceday preview. He fired in two tasty winners for qualifying, including George Russell for pole at 12/1, hopefully there’s more to come today.

2025 Singapore GP Raceday Update

It was a good day at the office yesterday, but the ante post selections are in the mire. Norris is a two-point bet to win and starting fifth means that one is very unlikely to win. My cursed bet on a driver to finish sixth continues. This time it is Carlos Sainz.

He looked in great shape on Friday and in FP3, but not only was he rubbish in qualifying (13th), both Williams were disqualified from qualifying and he now starts 19th. A total shambles. Every cloud has a silver lining though, and the Williams debacle means that Liam Lawson now starts from 12th, so our bet for him to finish in the points is still realistic, if he doesn’t stuff it in the wall again.

Baffled Russell

George Russell was quite baffled by getting pole position, and even though I picked him to do so, I share his bafflement. He did give it the full beans, kissing the walls and keeping his foot in, but a Mercedes, around this track? It’s not supposed to happen.

The fact that Antonelli was in the mix tells us that the car is indeed quick here, but it shouldn’t be. Mercedes do have a history of not really understanding their car in the ground effect era, and I suppose this is just another example.

Russell is also correct to be mystified by McLaren’s lack of pace. This was a track that was going to suit them, but they couldn’t even get a car on the front row. Piastri starts third, Norris fifth.

Race Winner

History has been kind to the pole sitters in Singapore with ten winners from fifteen races coming from pole position. The driver starting from second on the grid has only won this race once. Starting second means being off the racing line and the track tends to be a bit dusty off line.

The driver starting third has won twice, which does highlight the fact that second place has not been a good place to start in Singapore. Is Singapore going to remain as Verstappen’s only winless venue?

Max Verstappen is the 2.37 favourite, Russell 2.65, Piastri 6.50, Norris 17.00 and Antonelli 41.00. Russell has started from pole six times in his career and converted two into race wins. Not great, but he has converted two of his last three.

Overtaking Not Easy

Overtaking here is not easy and pole is where you want to be. There are question marks about race pace. We didn’t get any long runs in FP2 but from what has gone on this season, we know that McLaren have very good race pace, especially in hot conditions. They do seem to have been out-developed by Red Bull in recent races and it could be that that the Red Bull is now the quickest car, but we will know more at the end of this race.

Verstappen, if he thinks he has a realistic chance of fighting for the world Drivers’ Championship, is in a bit of a bind. He really needs to win races, a lot of races, and he definitely cannot afford to have a DNF.

In the past, he has been able to be aggressive. If you are leading the Championship, you can bully and intimidate rivals. If you are chasing, you need to score the points to close the gap. He is chasing now. If he doesn’t think he can win the title, he can just go for race wins, have a bit of fun and be aggressive.

Norris’ Hopes Fading

Piastri and Norris are still the realistic title contenders. Norris’ chances are slipping away, and have been for a while. Piastri could really put a marker down with a win here. Norris is on the ropes and Piastri will just want to increase his lead, so I doubt his main target is to win, just to beat Norris, and worry about Verstappen later.

Russell isn’t in the Championship fight so he is just going for the win. He can be aggressive and he doesn’t care much for Verstappen. It could get tasty, but a good betting proposition? Not for me. I have lost two points on Norris, and that is enough.

Podium Finish

I can’t see much in the way of value here. Antonelli starts 4th and the driver starting fourth has finished on the podium in three of the last four years. Antonelli is 4.50 to do so and his form is picking up after that horrible mid-season spell where he had just one points finish from seven races. However, he has had just one podium finish all season and the odds are only realistic.

Fastest Lap

Mercedes have won just the one race in 2025, but they have had four fastest laps. The pole sitter has also had the fastest lap in seven of the seventeen races. Russell backed up his pole in Montreal with a fastest lap in that race. It is a bit of a random market but somebody has to win it. Russell’s other fastest lap came in Hungary, another high downforce track, and I will have a small stakes bet on him to get his third fastest lap of the season.

2025 Singapore GP Raceday Tip: 0.5 point George Russell to set the fastest lap @ 5.50 with Ladbrokes

Points Finish

We have already backed Lawson for a points finish at 2.10 and he is still in with a chance, now starting from 12th place. He will need a bit of luck, but the Racing Bull has the pace.

One place ahead of him is Nico Hulkenberg. The Bank of Sauber hasn’t been paying out the generous dividends it was in that six-race run from Spain to Hungary, but Hulkenberg has finished in the points in three of his last four races here.

The car has the pace for a top 10 and he can take advantage of any attrition ahead of him. The driver starting from 11th place in Singapore has scored points in five of the last six races here.

2025 Singapore GP Raceday Tip: 1 point Nico Hulkenberg to finish in the points @ 2.10 with Livescorebet

Match Betting

The value is thin on the ground match betting wise. I was hoping to find something interesting with Hadjar, but no such luck. He is just 1.35 to beat Alonso with Unibet, but that is of no interest. The same firm have him to win a group, but he is just 1.55 in that.

The only one that just about gets the nod is Antonelli to beat Hamilton. The Mercedes came to life yesterday and Antonelli was 4th in FP3 and qualifying, comfortably faster than both Ferraris. Antonelli looked like he was enjoying driving the track and the Mercedes is the better car this week.

2025 Singapore GP Raceday Tip: 1 point Kimi Antonelli to beat Lewis Hamilton @ 1.65 with Unibet

-JamesPunt