The Singapore Grand Prix was an unforgettable weekend for Lewis Hamilton.
Following his undercutting by teammate George Russell during the Singapore Grand Prix due to a poor Mercedes strategy call, seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton expressed doubts about his will to continue.
Mercedes decided to start the Briton on soft compound tyres from the outset, with the majority of the field lining up on mediums. Hamilton had qualified an impressive third for the Singapore GP, finishing ahead of Russell on Saturday for just the fifth time this season.
In the early stages of the race, Hamilton was supposed to try to pass second-placed Max Verstappen, but too much wheelspin off the line prevented the 39-year-old from challenging his former title rival.
Mercedes then moved Hamilton into the hard tire pit area with the intention of letting him finish the race after his soft compound tires began to show signs of weakness. This ultimately resulted in Russell, Oscar Piastri, and Charles Leclerc undermining him.
Hamilton took to the radio to express his annoyance after Russell passed his teammate on the track. He sighed in a melancholy tone, “There are moments when I wonder why I do this.” The British national also voiced grievances to race engineer Peter Bonnington on other occasions.
As soon as the red light appeared, team manager Toto Wolff had a message for his driver. He apologized on the radio, saying, “Yeah, Lewis. “Obviously, we misread the race, but it wouldn’t have mattered because we gave you a car that wasn’t good enough here. We simply moved slowly today.”
The Mercedes team principal should take note of Hamilton’s awful radio chats as they approach their final six races together before the seasoned British driver moves to Ferrari for the winter.
This season, the Brit has experienced frustration on numerous occasions. In qualifying, the No. 44 team has had trouble getting their setups just right, which frequently leaves Hamilton with too much work to do on race day. Mercedes has frequently chosen different tactics on these occasions, which have only made the weekend more agonizing.
Mercedes has little left to fight for over the next six races as Ferrari pulls away from McLaren and Red Bull at the top of the Constructors’ Championship. However, Wolff and Hamilton will be eager to have some successful races before their 12-year partnership comes to an end.
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