Lewis Hamilton and George Russell Decline Sky F1 Interviews as Mercedes Release Statement
Mercedes confirmed that both of their drivers, Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, won’t be giving TV interviews to Sky Sports F1 after the Singapore Grand Prix.
After a gruelling race in the southeast Asian heat, the British pair opted against speaking in order to fully recover from 62 laps around the Marina Bay Street Circuit. McLaren’s Lando Norris won at a canter, followed by Max Verstappen, putting a further dent in his title lead.
Russell and Hamilton finished fourth and sixth respectively in sweltering temperatures, after the seven-time world champion fumed at his own team during the race for a strategy that took him from P3 to P6 by the chequered flag.
And Sky were unable to get the immediate thoughts of Hamilton on the decision to pit on lap 18, switching from hard to soft tyres, which he claimed were “killing him” in the battle for a podium in what is often described as the most physically demanding race of the season.
A Mercedes spokesperson said: “Unfortunately neither George or Lewis will be attending the media pen this evening as they recover from the exertions from this evening’s race.”
After nine laps on his new tyres, Hamilton asked if he was the first car to pit and accused the Silver Arrows of going too early, having failed to get ahead of Verstappen at the start of the race.
“Something’s definitely wrong with the car mate,” he told race engineer Peter Bonnington. “Tyres are dropping off.”
When the 37-year-old was passed by his team-mate, he further complained: “You’re killing me with this offset, mate.”
He later received an apology from team principal Toto Wolff over the team radio: “Yeah Lewis, sorry. We gave you a car that was just not good enough here and obviously, we read the race wrong, but it wouldn’t have made a difference. We were just slow today.”