Lewis Hamilton mentioned he was “so offended” together with his staff’s choice to place him on the gentle tyres initially of final weekend’s race.
The Mercedes driver fell from third on the grid to complete sixth. His staff mate George Russell, who began alongside him on the medium rubber, was one of many three drivers who gained a spot from him in the course of the race.
Hamilton mentioned Mercedes raised the potential for splitting the methods between their two drivers after they locked out the second row of the grid in qualifying on Saturday. He mentioned he argued in opposition to it, however was overruled.
“We sat in our assembly within the morning of the race – really the night time earlier than they already talked about that they wish to break up the vehicles – and for me, I used to be a bit perplexed by it,” Hamilton defined at an occasion in Kuala Lumpur for Mercedes sponsor Petronas.
“Previously after we’ve been in that place, usually, if George has certified effectively like he usually does that and I’m out of the highest 10 or one thing then we’ll break up the methods. However after we have been so shut, it didn’t make sense to me.
“So I battled as arduous as I might to battle to go on the medium tyre however the staff continued to counsel that I begin on the gentle. After which they took the tyre blankets off and everybody was on mediums.”
Hamilton was the one driver within the high 13 to begin the race on something apart from the medium rubber. He mentioned he was “so offended” over the choice.
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“Already from that second I’m pissed off,” mentioned Hamilton. “Then I attempted my greatest to maintain up with the blokes forward, they have been too quick. After which I simply tried to make that tyre final so long as I might.
“I needed to [pit] on lap 17. I knew from that second that the race was executed for me as a result of the arduous tyre was going to be a wrestle in that warmth.
“We’ve been fighting the stability of the automobile all weekend, so we’ve been altering so many various issues. We acquired a superb qualifying however sadly the race was a bit an excessive amount of of a wrestle for us.”
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Russell mentioned he knew Hamilton could be dissatisfied with Mercedes’ technique selection. “Once I noticed that, I used to be pondering, ‘Lewis gained’t be comfortable’,” he mentioned.
This was the sixth race this yr wherein Mercedes began their drivers on completely different tyre compounds. On the one earlier event the place the drivers began in consecutive positions on completely different compounds, in Miami, the motive force forward additionally began on softer rubber. On that event it was Russell.
Mercedes’ variations in beginning tyres in 2024
| Lewis Hamilton | George Russell | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Race | Place | Compound | Place | Compound |
| Australian Grand Prix | eleventh | Delicate | seventh | Medium |
| Chinese language Grand Prix | 18th | Delicate | eighth | Medium |
| Miami Grand Prix | eighth | Onerous | seventh | Medium |
| Hungarian Grand Prix | fifth | Medium | seventeenth | Onerous |
| Dutch Grand Prix | 14th | Delicate | 4th | Medium |
| Singapore Grand Prix | third | Delicate | 4th | Medium |
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