The Singapore GP was yet another weekend where Mercedes looked good, challenged for the win, but settled for less. However, they did give it everything they got with a very bold strategy at the top. George Russell and Lewis Hamilton gave it everything but sometimes Formula 1 can be unfair. Lewis Hamilton came home for a podium as George Russell crashed in the final lap.
A Superb Qualifying
Qualifying is extremely important at the Singapore GP. After Monaco, it is probably the most difficult race to overtake on the Formula 1 calendar. With Red Bull out, Mercedes sensed an opportunity.
Lewis Hamilton looked iffy all race and finished fifth in Q3. However, George Russell had something special in store. He pulled one of the laps of the season out of his bag in Q3. He put his Mercedes on the front row of the Singapore GP.
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Bold Strategy Call
During the practice sessions, Mercedes suffered some pain and managed to save an extra set of brand-new medium tyres. This came to their advantage after Esteban Ocon caused a VSC on lap 44 of the Singapore GP. Mercedes pit both drivers for new mediums.
Both Mercedes drivers now had a tyre offset to the top 3 of Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, and Charles Leclerc. They started catching them at a rate of knots. They were regularly up to 2s faster than the leading trio.
Bittersweet End of the Race
Both Mercedes passed Leclerc with relative ease. However, as they honed in on Norris, Sainz gave him DRS to boost his defense. George Russell couldn’t pass him at the first opportunity. Lewis Hamilton looked to have more pace but Mercedes did not give any team orders.
At the end, at turn 10 of the last lap, George Russell made a mistake and crashed. This promoted Lewis Hamilton to a podium but put a shadow on what was a brilliant weekend for the former World Champions.
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“No words, to be honest,” he said. “Such a long and difficult race. Difficult to keep concentration when Carlos was doing a great job backing the pack up and not allowing us to do the alternative strategy.
“I think we were half a car’s length from winning the race had I got past Lando when I had the opportunity. I think we’d have been able to get past Carlos. On the last lap, a millimetre’s lapse in concentration and it’s game over. I’m so sorry to the whole team.”
