Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were suffering from ‘borderline heatstroke’ after the Singapore Grand Prix, according to team principal Toto Wolff. The Mercedes duo were absent from the post-race media sessions at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.
The Singapore GP is regarded as one of the toughest events on the calendar with temperatures within the cockpit reaching heights of around 50 degrees, and drivers losing up to four kilograms of liquid body weight.
Sunday’s brutal circumstances got the better of Hamilton and Russell, who weren’t deemed well enough to speak to the media after their outing in Marina Bay. Mercedes released a statement after the race, explaining: “Unfortunately neither George or Lewis will be attending the media pen this evening as they recover from the exertions from this evening’s race.”
Team principal Wolff later shed more light on the situation, offering an insight into the extreme troubles his drivers were facing. “They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that but they have had water,” he said
“They would not have been able to go to the [media] pen. There were no bad feelings or any annoyance. It is just that we had the doctors with them. But they are all good.”
Wolff’s claims were not an exaggeration. After the Singapore GP, footage emerged from the Mercedes cockpit showing Russell staggering through Parc Ferme after climbing out of the car. The Brit looked extremely tired and dehydrated, putting him in a worrying position.
Mercedes’ weekend in the Singapore heat was unfortunately one to forget. Hamilton ended the race frustrated having started the Grand Prix from a strong P3 grid slot, dropping three positions behind Oscar Piastri, Russell and Charles Leclerc after being handed an unfavourable strategy.
The seven-time world champion even got an apology from Wolff on the radio. “Yeah Lewis, sorry,” he said after the chequered flag. “We gave you a car that was just not good enough here and obviously, we read the race wrong, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. We were just slow today.”
Russell’s afternoon was marginally better as he crossed the line in the same position he started from, but the 26-year-old was still over a minute behind polesitter and race-winner Lando Norris.
This deficit shows how far the Silver Arrows need to come if they are to start the 2025 season as contenders for either the Drivers’ Championship or Constructors’ Championship title. Just four races ago, Mercedes won their third Grand Prix in a four-race span, but they have dropped back down the order after that positive run.
