Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton and George Russell have been pulled from their F1 media commitments after the Singapore Grand Prix as a consequence of struggling “borderline heatstroke”.
Russel completed fourth in Singapore, two locations forward of teammate and seven-time world champion Hamilton, who was left pissed off with Mercedes’ technique.
Hamilton began third on mushy tyres and was pressured to make an early pit cease which left him weak on aged exhausting tyres within the second stint. He misplaced out to each Russell and future Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The 39-year-old Briton fumed about his technique, complaining over workforce radio that Mercedes have been “killing me with this offset”.
Mercedes workforce principal Wolff insisted there have been “no unhealthy emotions” or “any annoyance”, explaining his drivers merely weren’t nicely sufficient to attend their deliberate media debriefs after struggling within the brutal circumstances.
“They didn’t really feel nicely, borderline heatstroke or one thing like that however they’ve had water,” Wolff was quoted as saying by PA.
“They’d not have been in a position to go to the [media] pen. There have been no unhealthy emotions or any annoyance. It’s simply that we had the docs with them. However they’re all good.”
A Mercedes spokesperson added: “Sadly neither George or Lewis will probably be attending the media pen this night as they get well from the exertions of this night’s race.”
Wolff admitted that opting to start out Hamilton on softs was finally the “improper choice”.
“We took a choice based mostly on historic Singapore races the place it’s mainly a procession, Monaco-like, and that the mushy tyre would give him a chance at first,” he defined.
“That was just about the one overtaking alternative. That was the improper choice that all of us took collectively collectively.
“It felt like a superb offset however with the rear tyre deg that we had it was only one means and that was backwards. So, there was a logic behind it however clearly, it was opposite to what we must always’ve determined, however it doesn’t disguise away from the truth that the automotive is just too sluggish.
“It was a very painful night. It’s not about once you have a look at the positions, fourth and sixth, that isn’t good, particularly if you end up beginning third and fourth.
“The automotive… we wrestle in the meanwhile at tracks which might be sizzling and are robust on traction – right here and Baku. However that is no excuse.
“It’s simply in the meanwhile not what we anticipate from ourselves as a result of in case your quickest automotive is a minute behind the chief it’s simply troublesome to just accept.”
