Lewis Hamilton, currently leading the season, ended up at fourth from second position at Singapore Grand Prix.
Hamilton considers that Mercedes had the potential to keep the rivals at bay. The team could have won the GP but miscalculation during strategic calls had costed them the race.
Hamilton started tailing pole-sitter Ferrari driver, Charles Leclerc. He kept the pressure on the young driver while Sebastian Vettel tailed him and Max Verstappen started at fourth.
Mercedes opted to keep Hamilton on the track when Leclerc went in for new tyres while being chased by the British driver.
The team had opted to keep the cards and played the long game. But strategic call back fired when Hamilton went in.
Hamilton came back on track with both Ferrari’s and Red Bull ahead of him while Bottas tried to hold-on midfield racers for him.
Ferrari managed to win the first two places for the first time this season with continuous third victory. Verstappen made to third position on the podium which lead to no-podium finish of the season for Mercedes.
“It’s not been the weekend we wanted at all. I was all over Charles in the first stint and I think we had the pace to win the race today,” Hamilton told reporters after the race at Marina Bay Circuit.
“We discussed the possibility of the undercut in the strategy meeting this morning and I wanted to take the risk but then Ferrari decided to box (pit), so we did the opposite and I stayed out.
“I pushed hard and the tyres were feeling good, but after a few laps they started to drop off real quick. We made mistakes tonight, but in this team, we win and we lose together.
“We don’t point the finger at people, that’s always been our philosophy and that won’t change because of one race.
Hamilton: Ferrari Super Hungary
“We’re fighting a Ferrari team who are super hungry and pushing very hard,” commented regarding the rival team which is performing against the earlier expectations.
“It’s on each one of us to do a better job. I believe we’re the best team, but we’ve got to push on. We’ll debrief tonight, put our heads back in the scrum, and then come back fighting at the next race.”
