Lewis Hamilton, Mercedes, Singapore, 2022

Mercedes are a second off their rivals in Singapore, says Hamilton

2022 Singapore Grand Prix

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Lewis Hamilton is remaining cautious about Mercedes’ prospects for the Singapore Grand Prix despite topping a practice session for the first time this year.

The Mercedes driver topped the times during the earlier session, before ending the second practice hour in fifth position, almost six-tenths of a second slower than Carlos Sainz Jnr, who was fastest. Hamilton’s team mate George Russell was third fastest behind the two Ferrari drivers of Sainz and Charles Leclerc.

Hamilton said his Mercedes team are still significantly behind their rivals Red Bull and Ferrari on single-lap pace.

“[Practice] started off well – it wasn’t as great in the second session,” he explained. “Pretty much like every other weekend, I would say.

“The car is as it is and bouncing around like crazy. It doesn’t feel like we’re massively off here this weekend – we’re still probably a second down, I would say, something like that. We’ve just got to keep working on it.”

Hamilton believes there is more time for him to find from his W13 ahead of Saturday and qualifying for the race.

“Set-up-wise, definitely I think George was able to find a little bit more time,” he said. “I think there’s definitely on my side more time in it. I just didn’t really got a clear lap.

“With the set up I have, I have a lot of locking, but we’ll fix it tonight and come back and give it a better try tomorrow.”

Asked where he would predict Mercedes would be targeting during qualifying, Hamilton said the team would be “hoping we can be P5 and P4, something like that”.

“If we can get any higher, that would be amazing,” he added.

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Will Wood
Will has been a RaceFans contributor since 2012 during which time he has covered F1 test sessions, launch events and interviewed drivers. He mainly...

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6 comments on “Mercedes are a second off their rivals in Singapore, says Hamilton”

  1. Presumably this is an extension of the first 6 races of the season, when Mercedes had the fifth fastest car according to Russell and it was the sheer talent and willpower of him and Lewis that gave them so many podiums.

    1. They are a second away but Hamilton is in the fight for pole because he has 1 second over Verstappen.

      1. Now seriously. Hamilton is running the car far softer than usually and certainly softer than Russell. I think the car looked really good, another new rear wing, rb went for a barn door, merc for a change went for an high downforce wing instead of a sheer vertical wall. I think this is their best shot at victory.

  2. Better than McLaren. They are a complete joke of a team.

  3. This is more of Toto and Lewis crying “WOLF” again. As they are only 3/10’s off in the second practice. That means Lewis is exaggerating by 300%!! As Toto and Lewis usually do, when they are playing mind games, with the fans and the rest of the teams. They are just trying to psych out the other teams, into letting their guard down, so Mercedes can swoop in and take pole. My 2 cents

  4. Well your two cents were clearly wasted

    If you can’t see the issues these ‘super good regulations’ you know the ones that are a wet dream for ‘engineers’ (I am one and a former racer before you ask) have produced – I can’t help you.

    The drs spread, the seconds between teams, the crazy tyre overlaps and the absolute dominance of the only car designed by a guy with experience and a thesis in this exact area?
    You think that’s good racing?

    I hate Indy car since the split but I frankly think more of that than this ludicrous ‘supposed to be closer racing’ but actually a fortune spent when if this is what they want. Why not apply the new drs to last years cars?

    At least the embarrassing field spread would be less.

    That said – I guess this hilariously dominant winning by MV must be justification for last year and the odd belief that somehow it must be this incredible talent that makes the difference despite the obvious fact he has not even a realistic internal competition – in fact he has a completely dominant car, no internal competition and no external competition. At least LH had something to work against. This is ridiculous frankly.

    It’s Vettel times 100 and it will do him no good in the long run.

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