Sun Sep 22 21:11:50 UTC 2024: ## Mercedes Struggle in Singapore, Admitting Pace Deficiencies
**Singapore, Singapore** – The Mercedes team endured a difficult weekend at the Singapore Grand Prix, finishing in P4 and P6 with George Russell and Lewis Hamilton respectively. Despite a promising qualifying session, which saw them secure P3 and P4 on the grid, the team faced an uphill battle in the race due to a lack of pace and a strategic misstep.
The race started with Lewis Hamilton on the softer tire compound, aiming to gain an advantage. However, this strategy proved to be a mistake, as the Mercedes struggled with tire management, particularly in the high-heat conditions. This lack of pace hampered their ability to challenge for the podium, as they were overtaken by faster McLaren and Ferrari cars.
Despite a valiant effort, the team ultimately had to focus on damage limitation. George Russell managed to defend his position from Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari in the final stages, while Lewis Hamilton fell to P6 after being overtaken by Leclerc.
“It was a really painful evening for us,” admitted a disappointed Toto Wolff, Mercedes Team Principal. “We were too slow today. We are struggling at the moment with tracks that are hot and demanding on traction, like here and Baku.”
The team is now taking a three-week break before heading to the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. They will be hoping to improve their performance with a new update package for the car, aiming to close the gap to the leaders and regain their competitiveness.
“We have a lot of work to do in the coming weeks to understand why we’ve struggled to challenge at the front in the past few races,” said Wolff. “We will work hard to get on top of it though and hopefully the updates we bring to the next race in Austin will help us take a step closer to the front.”
First Piper 