F1 News
Hamilton addresses difficult Singapore weekend: "Natural to be frustrated"
Although he may have qualified P3 for last Sunday's race in Singapore, Mercedes' strategy cost Lewis Hamilton after he started the Grand Prix on soft tyres. The miscalculated strategy meant that the seven-time world champion finished sixth. On Saturday, the Mercedes' driver reflected on the race, and provided fans with an update on his relationship with the team on his Instagram Story.
In hindsight, Mercedes realised that starting the Brit on soft tyres was a mistake. Whilst the drivers around him lined up for the race on medium tyres, including his teammate George Russell, Hamilton started on softs. Soon after the lights went out, Hamilton began to struggle to keep up with the pace of Lando Norris and Max Verstappen ahead of him, meaning he made his pit stop much earlier.
During the race, Hamilton also questioned the team's strategy, understanding he would struggle to make it to the end on the hard tyres he switched to. In the end, he lost a place to his teammate Russell, in addition to Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc. In the Singapore debrief, Technical Director James Allison admitted that the decision was a "clear mistake".
What did Hamilton say about the strategy?
Hamilton was at an event hosted by Mercedes' fuel partner Petronas last Monday. After social media picked up on what the Briton said and people thought he was critical of his team, he has now explained his words. On an Instagram story, the seven-time world champion began: "Hey all, heading into the weekend focused on training for the next race. I know there has been a lot of chat around the last one and our strategy in Singapore which just didn't work. When that happens it's natural to be frustrated and easy for me to speak out in that frustration. We knew starting on soft tyres was a bold and risky move but one that could give is an advantage at the start and I ultimately agreed with that recommendation. We also miscalculated what others might do."
He added: "Make no mistake though, things are cool with the team. As with all successful partnerships, you have to have some lows to have some highs. We're not afraid of those tricky conversations and challenging moments which is why we have achieved so much together. We will support each other to the very end. It's all love. See you in Austin." Hamilton has six races left with the championship winning team, as he prepares for his move to Ferrari in 2025.
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27 September 2024
