Lewis Hamilton “Lost” as Mercedes Struggles in Singapore
Seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton admitted to feeling “lost” with his Mercedes car’s performance during the Singapore Grand Prix practice sessions. Hamilton’s struggles were compounded by teammate George Russell’s concerns, leaving the team facing an uphill battle.
Hamilton finished both practice sessions outside the top 10, with a significant gap to the lead McLaren and Ferrari cars. The Briton’s best lap time was 1.4 seconds slower than McLaren’s Lando Norris, who topped the timesheets
“I’m a bit lost with the car at the moment,” Hamilton said. “Nothing seems to work. We’re trying different things, but it’s not working. We’re struggling to find pace.”
Russell, who finished seventh in the more representative floodlit running, shared similar concerns. “We’re not as competitive as we thought we’d be,” he said. “We’re struggling with the balance and pace.”
Russell’s session was cut short after a late crash damaged the front of his car. “I was pushing too hard,” he explained. “I tried to take a bit too much risk, and it didn’t pay off.”
Mercedes’ woes have been attributed to a misbehaving W15, with the team struggling to optimize the car’s setup. “We’re trying to understand why we’re not as competitive as we thought,” team principal Toto Wolff said.
Meanwhile, McLaren and Williams have shown impressive pace, with Norris and Alex Albon topping the timesheets in the two practice sessions. Red Bull, on the other hand, seems off the pace, with Max Verstappen struggling to 15th place.
Hamilton is concerned about making it to the top 10 in qualifying. “It’s going to be tough,” he said. “We need to find something overnight.”
Russell echoed Hamilton’s sentiments. “We need to find a big chunk of pace overnight. If we don’t, it’s going to be a tough weekend.”
The teams will have a final practice session on Saturday before qualifying. Mercedes will need to find significant improvements to challenge for pole position.
– Saturday, September 21: Practice Three (10:30 am), Qualifying (2:00 pm)
– Sunday, September 22: Grand Prix (1:00 pm)
– Drivers’ Championship: Verstappen (241 points), Hamilton (146 points)
– Constructors’ Championship: Red Bull (454 points), Mercedes (281 points)
Mercedes’ struggles in Singapore have opened the door for other teams to capitalize. Can Hamilton and Russell turn their fortunes around, or will McLaren and Williams continue to surprise? The Singapore Grand Prix promises to be an unpredictable and thrilling ride.
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