“I should’ve been on pole yesterday”: Lewis Hamilton shares the most disappointing thing for him this weekend

Lewis Hamilton expressed his disappointment over narrowly missing pole position in Saturday's qualifying session at the Marina Bay Street Circuit.

However, he rallied brilliantly during Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix, securing a podium finish and propelling himself up to the third place in the driver's standings.

Hamilton's weekend began with a qualifying round he deemed frustrating. Despite a strong performance, he settled for a fifth-place starting position. Yet, on race day, Hamilton showcased his prowess, surging through the field to clinch third place in a thrilling display of racing excellence.

Speaking to Sky F1 after the race, Hamilton candidly shared his thoughts on the weekend's events. When asked if a victory was within reach for Mercedes, he reflected:

"It’s all in hindsight, but I think the thing I was disappointed with was yes… George was so close to pole yesterday. I should have been on pole yesterday."

Despite his disappointment with the qualifying session, Hamilton was quick to commend his teammate, George Russell, for an outstanding performance.

"The race was kind of textbook. The team did a great job with the strategy. I’m in my element in the race, it’s just [that] qualifying needs to get better. George was great all weekend."

Lewis Hamilton on Mercedes' tactical shift

One of the key strategic moves that defined Mercedes' performance in the Singapore GP was the decision to shift to a two-stop strategy.

This involved both George Russell and Lewis Hamilton equipping themselves with fresh medium tires after the team executed a precise double-stack manoeuvre during a Virtual Safety Car period. This was in order to get past the leader and eventual winner Carlos Sainz.

Reflecting on this bold strategic choice, Hamilton commented:

"But yeah, I think as a team, we risked it at the end and took a chance and I loved that the team was doing that."

In the final stages of the race, Lewis Hamilton showcased his determination, closing the gap between him and the leaders. He believed that with a few more laps, victory might have been within reach:

"It’s definitely hard to overtake those guys at the end of the race. But probably needed another five, 10 laps and I think we would have got them."

As the Formula 1 season unfolds, it remains to be seen if the 38-year-old will continue to progress on the momentum he's gained at the Singapore GP.