Mercedes had a disappointing outing in Singapore last weekend as neither Lewis Hamilton nor George Russell could finish in the podium places despite starting third and fourth on the grid respectively. Moreover, with both Mercedes drivers finishing more than a minute behind race winner Lando Norris, the frustrations are growing for them.
After the race, Russell blamed the tires for his poor performance at the Marina Bay Circuit. However, former Haas team boss Guenther Steiner doesn’t seem to be too happy with Russell’s statement about Pirelli, labeling it as an excuse.
“I wouldn’t say they were good. I think they’re a little bit lost in what they’re doing. I mean, the comments from George [Russell], they’re always the same you know,” the Italian said in a recent conversation on ‘The Red Flags Podcast’. Steiner added,
“We don’t get the tires to work. Yeah, if your car is not good your tire doesn’t work… it’s not something new you know. If you don’t know who to blame, just blame Pirelli, it’s straightforward.”
: Mercedes admitted they made a “clear mistake” by starting Lewis Hamilton on soft tires during the Singapore GP, a decision that left Hamilton “angry.” The team hoped for an early advantage off the line but misjudged tire degradation, ruining his race. James Allison… pic.twitter.com/FmNQmaDdFq
— F1 Naija (@f1_naija) September 25, 2024
However, it is pertinent to note that even during the race, Russell seemed unhappy with his tires and complained over the team radio about how he lacked the feel underneath him that he got during the practice sessions. And it was not just Russell who struggled.
Even Hamilton struggled with his tires throughout the race but for other reasons. Mercedes decided to start him on the softs, a call they accepted was a mistake on the strategists’ part. After the race, Hamilton stated Mercedes’ call left him “perplexed“.
