Lewis Hamilton has backtracked after criticising Mercedes’ strategy during the Singapore Grand Prix. The seven-time world champion insists he was speaking out in ‘frustration’ and had agreed with the recommendation to start the race on soft tyres.
Earlier this week, Hamilton told a sponsor event that he was ‘so angry’ and ‘perplexed’ that he was told to start on the soft tyres in Singapore. He was one of only two drivers to adopt the starting strategy, with VCARB’s Daniel Ricciardo also doing so.
Mercedes placed George Russell on medium tyres, the same as the majority of other cars. Hamilton said he was left bemused by the different strategies imposed on him and his team-mate, despite them qualifying in relatively similar places.
But the 39-year-old has now rowed back on his comments, accepting that he made them out of frustration after a tough race – in which he finished sixth, two places behind Russell.
He wrote on Instagram: “Hey all, [I am] heading into the weekend focused on training for the next race. I know there has been a lot of chat around the last one and our strategy in Singapore which just didn’t work. When that happens it’s natural to be frustrated and easy for me to speak out in that frustration.
“We knew starting on soft tyres was a bold and risky move but one that could give us an advantage at the start and I ultimately agreed with that recommendation. We also miscalculated what others might do.”
Hamilton and Russell were speaking to an audience at a Petronas event in Kuala Lumpur. Asked about his strategy in Singapore, the soon-to-be Ferrari star responded: “I was perplexed by it, I’ve never really been in that position. If George has qualified well and I’m out of the top 10, 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 start on the soft. When they took the blankets off, everyone was on mediums.”
Hamilton added: “I was so angry. From that moment, I’m already frustrated. I tried my best to keep up with the guys ahead but they were too fast. I tried to make that tyre last as long as I could.
“I had to stop on lap 17 and I knew from that moment that the race was done for me. I knew the hard tyre was going to be a struggle in that heat.”
Hamilton was eventually moved on to hard tyres on lap 17 but struggled to make up the pace with the cars at the front of the race.
