‘No bad feelings’ - Mercedes explain why Lewis Hamilton and George Russell skipped media

Mercedes boss Toto Wolff says Lewis Hamilton and George Russell were pulled from their F1 media commitments after the Singapore Grand Prix due to suffering “borderline heatstroke”.

Russel finished fourth in Singapore, two places ahead of teammate and seven-time world champion Hamilton, who was left frustrated with Mercedes’ strategy.

Hamilton started third on soft tyres and was forced to make an early pit stop which left him vulnerable on aged hard tyres in the second stint. He lost out to both Russell and future Ferrari teammate Charles Leclerc. The 39-year-old Briton fumed about his strategy, complaining over team radio that Mercedes were “killing me with this offset”.

Mercedes team principal Wolff insisted there were “no bad feelings” or “any annoyance”, explaining his drivers simply weren’t well enough to attend their planned media debriefs after suffering in the brutal conditions.

“They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that but they have had water,” Wolff was quoted as saying by PA.

“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.”

A Mercedes spokesperson added: “Unfortunately neither George or Lewis will be attending the media pen this evening as they recover from the exertions of this evening’s race.”

Wolff admitted that opting to start Hamilton on softs was ultimately the “wrong decision”.

"We took a decision based on historic Singapore races where it is basically a procession, Monaco-like, and that the soft tyre would give him an opportunity at the start," he explained.

"That was pretty much the only overtaking opportunity. That was the wrong decision that we all took together jointly.

"It felt like a good offset but with the rear tyre deg that we had it was just one way and that was backwards. So, there was a logic behind it but obviously, it was contrary to what we should’ve decided, but it doesn’t hide away from the fact that the car is too slow.

"It was a really painful evening. It is not about when you look at the positions, fourth and sixth, that is not good, especially when you are starting third and fourth.

"The car... we struggle at the moment at tracks that are hot and are tough on traction - here and Baku. But this is no excuse.

"It is just at the moment not what we expect from ourselves because if your quickest car is a minute behind the leader it is just difficult to accept."