Lewis Hamilton has voiced his anger with Mercedes after the team ignored his pleas to avoid starting on the Soft tires at the Singapore Grand Prix, leading to a disappointing sixth-place finish. The decision to split tire strategies between Hamilton and his teammate George Russell ultimately backfired, leaving Hamilton exposed on degrading rubber and struggling against slower cars.
A Strategy Misstep: Hamilton’s Pleas Ignored
Lining up third on the grid at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Hamilton’s race quickly turned into a battle for survival after Mercedes opted to start him on the Soft tires. This left him vulnerable as the race progressed, with the red-walled compound degrading rapidly and forcing an earlier-than-ideal pit stop. The resulting strategy saw Hamilton fall behind slower traffic, allowing Russell to overcut him and Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc to breeze past.
Hamilton revealed that he had argued against Mercedes’ pre-race decision to split strategies between the two cars. “We sat in our meeting the morning of the race, and actually the night before they already mentioned that they would like to split the cars,” Hamilton said. “For me, I was a bit perplexed by it… it didn’t make sense to me.”
Frustration from the Start
Hamilton’s frustrations were evident as soon as he realized he was the only driver in the top 10 not starting on Medium tires. “They took the tire blankets off, and everyone was on Mediums,” Hamilton recalled. “Already from that moment, I’m frustrated.” Despite his best efforts to manage the Soft tires, Hamilton was forced to pit on Lap 17, knowing his race was compromised.
“I knew from that moment that the race was done for me because the Hard tire was going to be a struggle in that heat,” Hamilton said. The decision left him grappling with balance issues that had plagued the car all weekend, ultimately preventing him from competing for a better position.
Russell’s Sympathy and Mercedes’ Struggles
Russell, who also struggled in the race and finished fourth, admitted that he understood Hamilton’s frustration. “When I saw that, I was thinking, ‘Lewis won’t be happy,’” Russell acknowledged. The decision to split strategies, which has occasionally worked when the two Mercedes drivers were further apart on the grid, didn’t make sense given how closely they had qualified.
Hamilton’s disappointment highlights broader issues with Mercedes’ race strategies and car performance this season. Despite a strong qualifying, the race proved too much of a challenge as the team’s misjudgment left Hamilton on the back foot.
Looking Ahead: A Difficult Path for Mercedes
With six rounds remaining in the season, Mercedes faces an uphill battle in the Constructors’ Championship as they continue to struggle against faster rivals like McLaren and Red Bull. Hamilton’s frustration underscores the need for the team to make more decisive and coherent strategic decisions if they hope to close the gap to their competitors. As Mercedes reflects on the Singapore GP, the team will need to address both strategic errors and the underlying performance issues to improve their prospects in the final stretch of the season.
