Mercedes F1 failed to capitalise on their grid positions

Despite improved grid positions, Mercedes F1 faced a tough race in Singapore, with Russell and Hamilton struggling to match rivals in a challenging weekend for the team.

George Russell secured fourth place at the Singapore Grand Prix after a fierce battle against Charles Leclerc’s dramatic comeback. The Mercedes F1 driver complained of exhaustion and issues with his vehicle throughout the latter stages of the race and was too fatigued to fulfill post-race media obligations.

Lewis Hamilton experienced a similarly challenging race as his teammate, marked by frustrations over tyre management and an ill-timed strategy.

“Our qualifying positions did not truly reflect our race pace, which was the fourth fastest behind McLaren, Red Bull, and Ferrari,” commented a Mercedes F1 spokesperson to the media.

“This pace on Saturday led us to start Lewis on soft tyres, aiming for immediate gains at a circuit where track position is usually crucial.”

“However, this proved to be a misstep as the soft tyres overheated and left him vulnerable while trying to manage them for a stint that would allow a one-stop strategy to work.”

“George and Piastri, on the medium tyres, were thus able to overtake. Ultimately, our pace wasn’t strong enough to hold off McLaren when Piastri made his move later on.”

“Lewis’s early pit stop also left him exposed to Leclerc later in the race; the tyres and pace had shifted enough for the Ferrari to make the pass.”

“The pace deficit to Leclerc was such that he managed to catch up with George, but the latter defended well to claim fourth place. Overall, it was a challenging weekend, which we will analyze before the next race in Austin.”

In a press release, Mercedes F1 shared the reactions of its drivers.

George Russell acknowledged that while the race was disappointing following strong qualifying performances, it was an acceptable result given the struggles on Friday: “After a very challenging Friday, we would probably have settled for fourth place in the Grand Prix.”

“However, our pace during qualifying had us believing we could achieve more. Today’s race was undoubtedly tough for us, both in terms of pace and physically.”

“The McLarens were very impressive and in a league of their own, while Max (Verstappen) was ahead of us. We managed to hold off Charles (Leclerc)’s Ferrari in the final moments, which meant we had to limit the damage.”

“Given the car’s pace, this was the best we could do. We have a lot of work ahead in the coming weeks to understand why we’ve struggled to compete at the front in recent races.”

“We haven’t been as competitive since the summer break, and it’s frustrating. We will work hard to overcome this and hope the updates we bring to the next race in Austin will help us close the gap.”

Lewis Hamilton also admitted that the weekend had been challenging to manage: “It’s hard to describe the range of emotions one feels during such a difficult race. This year continues to be testing for everyone, but we are all trying our best.”

“We don’t always get things right, and that was the case today with our strategy. We approach each weekend, and every decision we make, with the best intentions, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. It can be frustrating, but we are all in the same boat.”

“We have lost performance compared to the leaders in the last few races, and we are working hard to understand why. We will do what we do best—come together as a team, analyze, and refocus before Austin.”

“We will go to Austin energized, determined, and ready. It’s another chance to demonstrate what we can achieve when we get things right and to hopefully make a step forward with the car.”