Photo: LAT Images for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd
While it’s true that hindsight is 20/20, Mercedes’ George Russell still reckons that his team could have claimed its first win of the 2022 F1 season in Singapore had they executed better in both qualifying and the race.
Russell’s nightmare weekend kicked off with a Q2 exit due to brake issues, and even though he was absolutely flying during the race after switching from intermediates to slicks, the British driver made contact with Mick Schumacher’s Haas and picked up a puncture at the rear.
Ultimately, he crossed the line in P14 while also claiming the fastest lap of the race – not that it would do him any good at that point.
“We were in no man’s land, to be honest,” he said following the race. “Potentially it was [worth switching to slicks], because at the restart we were flying – I overtook three people on one lap after the Safety Car.”
“[Then] I had the tangle with Mick... I don’t really know what happened there; I felt like I left him plenty of space. We would have probably finished inside the points, because we were flying and got the fastest lap at the end by almost two seconds.”
“I’m pleased that the issues from yesterday and FP1 have been resolved, and I guess a bit of confidence [has been] restored that I haven’t lost it and I didn’t qualify three seconds off the pace due to a lack of talent. But it’s such a shame – we had a car to win this week.”
It was, of course, Lewis Hamilton who was best positioned to get a win for Mercedes this past weekend. Unfortunately for him, he veered off the track at a crucial point in the race, throwing any chance he might have had to get a podium out the window.
Meanwhile, in the Constructor Standings, there’s little chance that Mercedes could leapfrog Ferrari and finish second, seen as how the Scuderia currently holds a 66-point advantage with just 5 races to go.
Ultimately, he crossed the line in P14 while also claiming the fastest lap of the race – not that it would do him any good at that point.
“We were in no man’s land, to be honest,” he said following the race. “Potentially it was [worth switching to slicks], because at the restart we were flying – I overtook three people on one lap after the Safety Car.”
“[Then] I had the tangle with Mick... I don’t really know what happened there; I felt like I left him plenty of space. We would have probably finished inside the points, because we were flying and got the fastest lap at the end by almost two seconds.”
“I’m pleased that the issues from yesterday and FP1 have been resolved, and I guess a bit of confidence [has been] restored that I haven’t lost it and I didn’t qualify three seconds off the pace due to a lack of talent. But it’s such a shame – we had a car to win this week.”
It was, of course, Lewis Hamilton who was best positioned to get a win for Mercedes this past weekend. Unfortunately for him, he veered off the track at a crucial point in the race, throwing any chance he might have had to get a podium out the window.
Meanwhile, in the Constructor Standings, there’s little chance that Mercedes could leapfrog Ferrari and finish second, seen as how the Scuderia currently holds a 66-point advantage with just 5 races to go.
Google News