Lewis Hamilton Vents Anger On Mercedes For Failed Strategy - 'Knew The Race Was Done For Me'

Saajan Jogia | Sep 25, 2024

May 2, 2024; Miami Gardens, Florida, USA; Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton (44) addresses the media in advance of the Miami Grand Prix at the Miami International Autodrome. Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-Imagn Images / John David Mercer-Imagn Images

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton revealed after the Singapore Grand Prix that he was very angry with the team's strategy of starting him on the first stint on soft tires, while rival teams used the medium compound Pirellis. The seven-time world champion started the race in third but ended up securing the sixth place.

The race at Marina Bay might have been another missed opportunity for Mercedes to secure a place on the podium after it decided to fit Hamilton's W15 with the soft compound tire, making him the only driver in the top ten to adopt this strategy.

Hamilton admitted that in Mercedes' team meeting before the race, the idea to split strategies for both cars perplexed him. Speaking at an event for the team's title sponsor, Petronas, which celebrates its 50th anniversary, Hamilton said:

“We sat in our meeting in the morning of the race, actually the night before they already mentioned that they would like to split the cars.

“And for me, I was a bit perplexed by it. Because in the past, when we’ve ever been in that position.

“Normally if George has qualified well like he normally does and I’m out of the top 10 or something, then we’ll split the strategies, but when we were so close, it didn’t make sense to me.

“So I battled as hard as I could to fight to go on the medium tyre, but the team continued to suggest that I started on the soft.

“And then when they took the tyre blankets off, everyone was on mediums.”

Sadly for Hamilton, he ended up finishing the race behind his teammate George Russell in sixth, losing three positions as a result of a flawed plan. Meanwhile, Russell, who started the race fourth, finished the race two positions ahead of Hamilton, in fourth.

Expressing his frustration with the team's strategy, the 39-year-old driver remarked:

“I was so angry, so already from that moment I’m frustrated.

“And then I tried my best to keep up with the guys ahead. They were too fast. 

“And then I just tried to make that tyre last as long as could and I had to stop on Lap 17.

“I knew from that moment, then the race was done for me, because the hard tyre was going to be a struggle in that heat.

“And we’d been struggling with the balance of the car all weekend, so we were changing so many different things. We got a good qualifying, but unfortunately, the race was too much of a struggle for us.”