‘We had the doctors with them’ – Lewis Hamilton and George Russell suffer…at Singapore…read more.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were both excused from their media commitments following the Singapore Grand Prix due to “borderline heatstroke,” as confirmed by Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff. Hamilton, who started the race from third and finished sixth, fell ill after completing the challenging 62-lap race. Russell, on a different strategy from Hamilton, started fourth and finished one place ahead of him in fourth, but was also too unwell to fulfill his post-race media duties.
The Singapore Grand Prix is notoriously one of the most physically demanding races on the calendar due to its high humidity and oppressive heat. While all of the other 18 drivers managed to complete their required media appearances, both Mercedes drivers were granted a medical exemption. On the advice of the team’s doctors, Mercedes contacted the FIA, requesting to excuse both Hamilton and Russell from their media obligations, which are typically mandatory for all drivers after a race.
Wolff elaborated on the situation, explaining that both drivers were experiencing symptoms that were close to heatstroke but had been given water and were being monitored by medical staff. “They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that, but they have had water,” Wolff said. He assured that both drivers were in good hands and were recovering but noted that they were not in any condition to attend media interviews. “They would not have been able to go to the pen [for media],” he added.
Hamilton later issued a statement via a Mercedes press release, acknowledging the difficulty of the race and expressing his frustration with the team’s strategy. “It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that,” he said, reflecting on the missed opportunities and the tough season the team has endured. The seven-time world champion, competing in his 350th Formula 1 race, was the only top contender to start on soft tires, a decision that later proved costly. Hamilton switched to hard tires on lap 17, a move that dropped him to 13th place. Despite his best efforts to recover, he encountered several challenges throughout the race, including brushing the wall as he entered the pit lane and struggling with tire performance.
The decision to start on soft tires quickly became a point of contention for Hamilton, who voiced his displeasure over the radio during the race. “We will be in trouble later,” he said after switching to hard tires. “I am already struggling with this tire… you are killing me with this offset [strategy], mate.” Hamilton’s struggles were further compounded when he ran off the road during an attempt to pass Yuki Tsunoda, an error that saw him lose even more ground. He continued to voice concerns about the car’s performance, telling his team that “something is definitely wrong with the car,” leading to visible frustration from Wolff in the Mercedes garage.
Russell, meanwhile, opted for a different strategy and managed to leapfrog his teammate after making his sole tire change on lap 30. Hamilton then slipped further down the order as he was overtaken by Oscar Piastri and Charles Leclerc in the latter stages of the race. By the time the checkered flag waved, Hamilton found himself 85 seconds behind race winner Lando Norris and 21 seconds behind Russell.
In the aftermath, Hamilton admitted that the team’s strategy did not work as intended, despite their best efforts. “This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can,” he said. “We don’t always get things right, and that was the case today with our strategy. It can be frustrating, but we are all in this together.”
The challenging weekend leaves Hamilton sixth in the drivers’ standings, 19 points ahead of Russell, as they now look ahead to the next round in Austin, Texas on October 20. Despite the setback, both drivers are expected to recover in time for the upcoming race.
