George Russell and Toto Wolff each unable to clarify the place Singapore victory got here from.
It was comprehensible that our post-qualifying headline referred to George Russell’s “shock” pole place, elsewhere the phrase “shock” was a lot in use.
Nevertheless, twenty-four hours later the Briton transformed it right into a win, having led the race for all however two transient laps after pitting.
It was a well-deserved and considerably emphatic victory, with runner-up Max Verstappen extra focussed on the automobiles behind than taking the struggle to Mercedes, however nonetheless, like Saturday night, it got here as one thing as a shock… even to the winner.
“It feels wonderful, particularly after what occurred a few years in the past,” stated the Briton. “That was a little bit of a missed alternative, however we greater than made up for it as we speak.
“I am simply so grateful for the workforce,” he added. “They did a tremendous job this weekend. We do not actually know the place this efficiency got here from, however I am actually, actually completely happy.”
Joyful, completely comprehensible… but in addition confused.
“If I used to be to make a listing of all of the races I assumed we may win at this yr, this is able to most likely be proper on the backside,” he admitted. “We have to sit down on Monday and Tuesday to kind of perceive why the efficiency was so good.
“Realistically, Lando appeared extremely quick,” he continued. “He was inside a second of Max the entire race and round this circuit, that is not straightforward.
“We’ll take the efficiency for as we speak and rejoice it,” he smiled. “I will not assume an excessive amount of about Austin but. I simply hope we will carry this by means of to the remainder of the season.”
Group boss, Toto Wolff was equally at a loss to clarify the place the victory got here from.
“You inform me,” he laughed. “Singapore was by no means a pleasant place for us when it comes to automotive efficiency, and for those who would have informed me that we have been dominating in the way in which we did as we speak, I’d not have believed it.
“These automobiles are only a shock field,” he continued. “Should you ask McLaren why the final three races have not gone in any respect, they’d most likely wrestle for solutions.
“And the identical method, Max coming again after which missing efficiency once more as we speak, and the identical with the Ferraris oscillating between success and failure…
“It is simply that margins are so small in having the automotive in the precise aerodynamic window, in extracting that most mechanical grip with out killing the tyres, and the candy spot of the Pirellis clearly,” he stated.
“That does not at all times correlate what you see within the digital world, within the simulations, to what occurs on the observe. However right here, from the get-go, the tyres, driver and automotive have been simply in sync and to not be crushed.”
Try our Sunday gallery from Marina Bay right here.
