While tensions may have appeared between Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in Singapore, the Briton returned in a message on Instagram to this situation, recalling having participated in the strategic decision to start on soft tires and explaining that there was no no problem with his stable.
The start on soft tires was in fact a gamble for the seven-time World Champion while all the other drivers in the top 10 had chosen to start on mediums. The idea was to try to take advantage, from his third place on the grid, of better potential at the start to possibly gain one or two positions. Even though this presented a risk in terms of tire performance, Mercedes relied on the recent history of Singaporean events, where the leaders tended to adopt a senatorial train, to consider this option.
Ultimately, not only did Hamilton fail to gain the advantage over Max Verstappen at the start, but then the pace at the front was higher than expected, which quickly put him in difficulty. He was therefore called back to the pits on the 17th lap, at least ten laps earlier than most of his direct competitors. Hamilton initially lost track position to his teammate George Russell due to the early stop which sent him back into traffic, but he was then picked off by Charles Leclerc on hard tires 20 laps less worn .
At an event organized by Petronas in Kuala Lumpur following the GP, Hamilton explained: “We got together the morning of the race – in fact, the night before they had already mentioned that they would like to separate the strategies – and I for one was a little perplexed. In the past, when we were in “That position, normally, if George had qualified well, like he usually does, and I wasn’t in the top 10 or something, then we’d separate strategies.”
VIDEO – The summary of the Singapore GP
“But since we were so close, it didn’t make sense for me. So I fought as hard as I could to start on medium tires, but the team kept suggesting that I start on soft tires. And then They took the electric blankets off and everyone was on mediums.”
Mercedes later admitted in its debriefing, through its technical director James Allison, that this choice had been a “error”. But faced with the discontent of some of his fans, Hamilton decided to post a story on Instagram to calm things down and remind people that he had ultimately agreed to the implementation of this strategy: “I know there has been a lot of discussion around the last [course] and our strategy in Singapore which did not work.”
“When that happens, it’s natural to be frustrated and it’s easy for me to express that frustration. We knew that going on soft tires was a bold and risky decision, but one that could give us an advantage at the start, and I We ended up accepting this recommendation as well. But make no mistake, all is well on the team.
“As in all successful partnerships, there must be lows for there to be highs”he added. “We’re not afraid of those tough discussions and those awkward moments, and that’s why we’ve accomplished so much together.”
As a reminder, Lewis Hamilton will leave Mercedes at the end of the season to join Scuderia Ferrari, where he will replace Carlos Sainz. Within the German team, it is the young Kimi Antonelli who will succeed him.
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