An update on the health of Lewis Hamilton has been revealed by a senior Mercedes figure after he canceled a scheduled appearance at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The seven-time Formula 1 world champion struggled around the streets of Marina Bay, starting third and finishing sixth after a poor strategy call.
Having started on soft tires to try and get ahead of second-placed Max Verstappen at the start, Hamilton soon paid the price, ultimately dropping down the order with his rivals able to extend their opening stints much further.
It meant that Mercedes team-mate George Russell was able to finish ahead of the Brit, with Hamilton left angered by Mercedes’ strategy choices that clearly favored the younger driver
Mercedes give update on drivers’ health
On top of his poor performance, Hamilton also suffered from the heat in Singapore, with temperatures of over 30 degrees present throughout the night race.
Both Hamilton and Ruscanceledelled their media commitments after the race, with an official Mercedes statement conceding that neither driver would be present in the media pen.
Now, Mercedes technical director James Allison has given an update on both drivers’ condition, easing fans’ concerns.
“We suffered again from a thing that has been problematic for us which is on softer rubber at tracks where tire temperature is at a premium, where it’s very easy to overheat, we lose relative competitiveness and Singapore is at the extreme end of that experience and it was quite a difficult thing for them to manage,” Allison told the team’s race debrief.
“And to add insult to injury, 30 degrees air temperature, 70 percent relative humidity, it was very, very, very hot in the car, and at the end of the race, both of them were feeling that.
“They feel a lot better now from the heat part of it, you know. Cold ice bath and a few drinks and they bounce back relatively swiftly but the more significant thing which is caring about the pace of the car, that hurt lingers a little longer.”
