Mercedes F1 sponsor CEO issues apology for his actions on podium after George Russell win

The Muslim boss of major Formula 1 team sponsor Petronas has apologised for spraying champagne during podium celebrations at the Singapore Grand Prix. The race was won by George Russell meaning a representative of the Mercedes team was invited onto the podium, joining the top three drivers.

Silver Arrows chief Toto Wolff offered Petronas chief executive Tengku Muhammad Taufik the opportunity, which he accepted. And, as is tradition in motorsport, once the trophies had been presented and national anthems played, champagne corks were popped and the bubbly was sprayed in celebration.

Tengku Muhammad, a former Strathclyde University student, was completely soaked in champagne after joining in with Russell, Max Verstappen and Lando Norris during the post-race tradition.

But the 49-year-old has now said sorry for upsetting fellow Muslims by being involved in the booze-soaked celebrations, admitting he should have known better than to allow himself to get carried away.

He said: "I acknowledge that my spur-of-the-moment exuberance in celebrating that moment of victory may have been misplaced.

"While I can categorically state I did not consume any alcohol, as a Muslim, I should have been more aware of the sensitivities associated with taking part in such celebrations. I want to apologise for any unintended offence caused and take full responsibility for my actions."

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Champagne is widely used by F1 at most races for the purposes of spraying in podium celebrations. But non-alcoholic substitutes are used at some races where they are legally prohibited from doing so.

Of the current 24 race events in F1, only three are affected. At the Bahrain, Saudi Arabian and Abu Dhabi Grands Prix, fizzy grape juice is used as a substitute. But there is no ban on the use of alcohol for such purposes in Singapore, nor was there when the sport used to race in Malaysia, where Petronas is based.

The win was Russell's second of the season and Mercedes' first in Singapore since 2018, when a 20-year-old Verstappen was also the runner-up behind Lewis Hamilton. The Brit remains fourth in the drivers' standings with 237 points – 37 behind Verstappen ahead but 63 clear of Charles Leclerc behind.

Though he has not had the car to do so this year, Russell said after his win in Singapore: "I feel ready to fight for a championship. I feel ready to take it to my next step. I'm a very different driver today to the one I was a couple of years ago, and I feel more complete, more confident. I know exactly what I need to do in given circumstances."