Mercedes race pace justified its good fortune - Allison

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Mercedes tech boss James Allison admits the Silver Arrows team caught a break last Sunday, but Lewis Hamilton's race pace proved it was deserved.

Following a lackluster performance in qualifying in Singapore, according to Mercedes standards, the German team headed in to the race in damage limitation control.

Ferrari's double disaster at the start, coupled with Max Verstappen's retirement, instantly delivered an advantage to Mercedes and Lewis Hamilton however.

But the Briton followed it up with an outstanding level of performance which fully justified the team's good fortune.

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"After a difficult weekend prior to Sunday, the manner in which the cards all fell so right for us in the opening corners gave us a massive lift," Allison said.

"But after that huge dose of luck, it was a relief to show that we had good race pace to justify our good fortune, and we couldn't be more delighted with the way Lewis and Valtteri made the most of it.

"In the two weeks since the last round of the championship, and in all the hundreds of hours worked and thousands of simulations made, nothing pointed to a result quite like this one."

As Hamilton extended his lead in the world championship in Singapore, Allison was reminded that you can never discard motor racing's imponderables.

"Formula One is incredibly complicated, but days like this remind you that it is still a sport - and that you never know what might happen.

"This is a brilliant result for both titles and, of course, we leave Singapore with a spring in our step. But there is still a very long way to go in this championship race."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.