"From that moment I'm frustrated" - Lewis Hamilton explains his "perplexed" reaction to Mercedes' strategy at the start of the Singapore GP

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton said during a recent event that he was "angry" and "frustrated" with the team's decision to put him on soft tires at the start of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix last Sunday. The seven-time world champion was the only driver inside the top 10 to start on the C-5 tire despite it not being a sustainable choice compared to the medium and hard tires.

The British driver shared that the team had made up their mind to split the strategies on both drivers heading into the main race on Sunday, a decision that left him "perplexed." Despite him voicing his opinion against starting on the soft tires, the German team went ahead with the strategy while everyone around him started on mediums.

Speaking during Petronas's sponsor event, Hamilton reflected on the moment he found out that the cars around him were starting on optimal tires. He said,

“I was so angry. Already from that moment, I am frustrated. I tried my best to keep up with the guys ahead but they were too fast. And then I just tried to make that tire last as long as I could. I had to stop on Lap 17 and I knew from that moment that the race was done for me because the hard tire was going to be a struggle in that heat.

“We’d been struggling with the balance of the car all weekend. We’d been changing so many different things. We had a good qualifying, but unfortunately, the race was too much of a struggle for us.”

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Mercedes team boss reflects on Lewis Hamilton tire gamble

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff acknowledged that starting Lewis Hamilton on soft tires was the wrong decision but added the team took the decision based on its experience at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

As per Crash.net, the Austrian said:

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

Lewis Hamilton finished the Singapore Grand Prix in sixth place, while George Russell came home in fourth, defending the position against Charles Leclerc late in the race.

The 39-year-old has not finished higher than fifth on the track ever since the sport returned from the summer break last month, failing to recapture the form that he displayed before the mid-season break.