Lewis Hamilton predicts a struggle to make Q3 if Mercedes are unable to rectify their poor Friday form; George Russell crashed at the end of second practice. Lewis Hamilton admitted Mercedes are “just a bit lost” with their car after a “very challenging” start to the Singapore GP weekend which has left him concerned about whether they will even make the grid’s top 10 in qualifying on Saturday.
With Mercedes aiming to hit back on the streets of Marina Bay following a difficult Baku relative to the front-runners last week, when Hamilton in particular endured a tough weekend after an engine penalty left him starting the race at the back of the field, the team’s drivers both struggled with a misbehaving W15 on Friday.
Hamilton finished both sessions outside of the top 10 and while team-mate George Russell fared a little better in the more representative floodlit running to take seventh, his Practice Two ended with a late crash into the barriers.
In team radio conversations with his race engineer Peter Bonnington during the sessions, Hamilton reported repeat issues with understeer along with traction out of the street circuit’s slow, twisty corners.
“The car feels very difficult. A very challenging day,” said Hamilton after finishing 11th fastest and 0.982s off the pace set by McLaren’s Lando Norris.
