Hamilton puts Mercedes on alert over vital Singapore task

Lewis Hamilton has highlighted the tough task facing Mercedes in the Singapore Grand Prix to control its tyre temperatures after a stunning turnaround.

Throughout practice, Mercedes were all at sea, with Hamilton and George Russell complaining of understeer and traction issues at Marina Bay – but in Q2, the W15 found some pace with Hamilton eventually qualifying third to Russell’s fourth. 

It places the pair in a prime position to capitalise if anything befalls front-row pair Lando Norris and Max Verstappen, with Hamilton wary of another drastic swing in track conditions that could throw the car out of its narrow operating window.

“We have to anticipate a different balance [in the race] compared to the past every other session,” he told media including RacingNews365.

“I think here is really about managing tyre temps, so that’s going to have to be key, and doing absolutely everything we can to keep the temperatures out of the rears, basically. 

“I hope in our attempt to do that, we’re somehow able to hold on to at least one of these guys [Norris and Verstappen], but we’ll find out [in the race].

“I feel confident, though, that we might be able to do that.”

“My lap was also nothing special, it was very difficult to get the tyres perfect and not overslide them, I had a lot of snaps. 

“With a better job, maybe we could have been front row with [Norris], but I don’t know whether or not we could have beaten him.

 “Our long run pace was so-so. Nowhere near these guys, or at least the McLarens. But we have now put the car in a much different window.