Lewis Hamilton and George Russell suffered from “overheating” within the Singapore GP and missed their traditional post-race media duties after a gruelling race which Mercedes boss Toto Wolff admitted had been “painful” for the workforce.
The Marina Bay avenue race is normally essentially the most physically-demanding of the System 1 season owing to Singapore’s warmth and humidity and Russell, who completed fourth, was heard on workforce radio in his automobile in the course of the closing phases saying “it’s like a sauna in right here”.
The 62-lap race additionally ran and not using a Security Automotive interruption for the primary time in its 16-year historical past.
And Wolff mentioned of his drivers after the race: “They’re each affected by the overheating.
“However they’re superb now. They put themselves in an ice bathtub and I believe that helped a bit.”
The race itself had proved a disappointing one for each British drivers from the second row with Mercedes’ W15 not a match on race tempo for the 2 McLarens, which completed first and third, and Purple Bull’s second-placed Max Verstappen.
Russell, who was fourth, and Hamilton have been additionally cut up by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc, who recovered from ninth on the grid to overhaul the latter and end on the lead Mercedes’ tail.
“It was a very painful night,” admitted Wolff, whose workforce have now claimed just one podium end within the 4 races because the August summer season break having gained two of the three earlier than that.
“It’s not about whenever you have a look at the positions we’re fourth and sixth, that’s not good particularly if you find yourself beginning [third and fourth].
“We battle in the intervening time with tracks which are sizzling and are powerful on traction. It was right here and it was Baku. However that is no excuse, it’s simply in the intervening time now what we count on from ourselves as a result of in case your quickest automobile is a minute behind the chief it’s simply tough to simply accept.”
Why did Mercedes begin Hamilton on tender tyres?
Hamilton had began as Mercedes’ lead automobile in third on the grid however his race unravelled after their resolution to begin the seven-time champion on tender tyres backfired.
Pitting sooner than the automobiles round him having didn’t make up floor firstly, Hamilton misplaced observe place to the longer-running Russell, who began on mediums, and was finally overtaken by the recovering Leclerc on observe.
Wolff admitted they’d merely obtained the technique for Hamilton improper, though acknowledged they have been merely “too gradual” in any case to make a lot distinction to their general consequence.
“Our technique choices within the race have been decided by our experiences up to now right here the place observe place is essential,” he mentioned.
“We thought that the tender tyre would give Lewis a bonus firstly however that turned out to be the improper resolution. With our challenges managing the rear surfaces, we went backwards.
“Overtaking proved doable, opposite to earlier races right here the place it has been extra processional, and in hindsight we must always have began him on the medium.”
Having headed straight for post-race restoration after getting out of their automobiles in parc ferme, Hamilton and Russell’s respective verdicts on the race have been as an alternative supplied in Mercedes’ post-race press launch in a while Sunday night.
On his tough run to sixth, Hamilton mentioned: “It’s onerous to explain the vary of feelings you are feeling when we have now a tough race like that.
“This 12 months continues to be a testing one for everybody, however we’re all pushing as onerous as we are able to. We don’t at all times get issues proper and that was the case at present with our technique. All of us head into the weekend, and each resolution we take, with the appropriate intentions and generally it doesn’t work out. It may be irritating, however we’re all on this collectively.
“We’ve misplaced some type to the leaders up to now few races and we’re working onerous to determine why that’s. We’ll do what we do greatest although and that’s to come back collectively as a workforce, analyse and refocus forward of Austin.”
Russell added: “Our tempo in qualifying nevertheless made us consider we might obtain extra. At this time was little question a tough race for us, each difficult by way of our tempo but additionally bodily.
“The McLarens have been very spectacular and in one other league to us, while Max had the legs on us. We have been in a position to maintain off the Ferrari of Charles within the closing phases, so it was very a lot a night of harm limitation. Given the tempo of the automobile, that was the perfect we might have achieved.”
Simply six races stay in System 1 2024 and the season resumes with the US Grand Prix in Austin from October 18-20, reside on Sky Sports activities F1. Stream each F1 race and extra with a NOW Sports activities Month Membership – No contract, cancel anytime