Lewis Hamilton Celebrates Mercedes’ Dramatic Turnaround After Singapore Practice Woes

"Switching gears" – Lewis Hamilton praises Mercedes' remarkable recovery post challenging practice sessions in Singapore.

Lewis Hamilton praised Mercedes' dramatic improvement at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix after experiencing a series of difficult practice sessions, likening the sudden change in their performance to flipping a switch.

For Sunday's race at the Marina Bay Street Circuit, Hamilton secured the third spot on the starting grid, outperforming his Mercedes colleague George Russell in the qualifying round for only the fifth occasion this year.

The resurgence of the seven-time world champion during the qualifying rounds was unexpected, given their previous struggles to find speed in all three practice sessions.

Following Friday's practice session, Hamilton expressed doubts about their ability to reach Q3, citing the challenges they were facing.

In a conversation with Sky Sports following the session, Hamilton appeared quite communicative, sharing his thoughts on the challenges he's faced this year.

"From my perspective, the qualification process has been incredibly challenging for around a year, especially this year. It's an area I've been focusing on improving," Hamilton mentioned. "Without a doubt, I've had to put in significant mental effort to maintain my confidence and keep the faith.

"Performance in the races has been solid. Typically, I perform well throughout the season, but poor qualifying positions really increase the difficulty. This weekend, we started off optimistic, yet during the first practice, the car was extremely difficult to handle. We lagged by a second. Despite significant adjustments for the second practice, we were still trailing by a second."

The team working on the simulator did an excellent job last night, bringing a wave of optimism from their simulations. We were all feeling upbeat. However, during P3, it turned into a disaster when we found ourselves lagging by 1.2 seconds.

"The technicians have put in an immense amount of effort, swapping out various components. They're unsure about what lies ahead. Once the qualifying began, and then with the car… it was merely a flip of a switch. Suddenly, I was in sync and felt incredibly competitive right from the start. It's regrettable, what happened on the final lap, but I truly accept it."

Anticipating the upcoming race, Hamilton is optimistic about his chances to compete with the leading duo, Lando Norris and Max Verstappen.

In the previous season's Singapore Grand Prix, Hamilton secured a third-place finish, capitalizing on a last-lap accident that involved Russell.

"He mentioned that due to the numerous adjustments, it's challenging to predict their standing in the competition. He believes the car is in a more favorable condition now. He expressed optimism about enhancing its aerodynamics for improved performance in the long run during tomorrow's session. He emphasized that given the unpredictable nature of this circuit, maintaining their position could lead to any outcome.

"Tire wear will play a crucial role. It seems the McLaren, with its dynamic front and rear wings, is currently too quick to catch. Their speed advantage could make them difficult to challenge."

"I remain optimistic and will put in my utmost effort. From what we observed at the race's outset with these two competitors, it's clear that outcomes can be unpredictable. My aim is to ensure that I'm in the right position to take advantage of any opportunities that arise."

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