Mercedes drivers Lewis Hamilton and George Russell did not take part in the regular post-race media interviews in the paddock in Marina Bay after falling ill following the Singapore Grand Prix on Sunday night.
In a brief press notice, Mercedes explained that both drivers had been allowed to miss the session after falling unwell at the end of 62 laps in the most intensely hot and humid conditions of the season.
“Unfortunately neither George or Lewis will be attending the media pen this evening as they recover from the exertions of this evening’s race,” the team confirmed.
Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff explained that Hamilton fell ill in the immediate aftermath of the race in which he started from third place on the grid on soft tyres but ended up crossing the line in sixth.
Russell started behind his team mate but on an alternate strategy that allowed him to stay ahead of Charles Leclerc and finish in fourth place, just losing out on the podium to Oscar Piastri.
The 26-year-old was also pulled from the obligatory media commitments after being deemed to be too poorly to attend. Mercedes requested a medical exemption from the FIA for both drivers on the advice of the team’s doctors.
“They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that, but they have had water,” Wolff said when he arrived to explain the situation to the media waiting in the paddock.
“They would not have been able to go to the [media] pen. There were no bad feelings or any annoyance, it is just that we had the doctors with them. But they are all good.”
The drivers have repeatedly complained about the seat in the car overheating during race weekends, which could have added to the natural overwhelming intensity of the heat and humidity in Singapore.
The media had been eager to interview Hamilton after he made some outspoken comments during the race complaining about Mercedes' strategy today. In lieu of that, Hamilton contributed to written comments release by the team.
"It is hard to describe the range of emotions you feel when we have a difficult race like that," he commented. "This year continues to be a testing one for everyone, but we are all pushing as hard as we can.
"We don't always get things right and that was the case today," he added. "Every decision we take [we do so] with the right intentions but sometimes it doesn't work out. It can be frustrating, but we are all in this together."
"That was a really painful evening for us," acknowledged Wolff. "P4 and P6 is not a good result after starting P3 and P4. We thought the soft tyre would give Lewis an advantage at the start, but that turned out to be the wrong decision.
"With our challenges managing the rear surfaces, we went backwards. Overtaking proved possible, contrary to previous races here where it has been more processional. In hindsight we should have started him on the medium."
Although he missed out on a podium, Russell had a degree of satisfaction after managing to hold off Leclerc in a closely-fought final few laps.
"The McLarens were very impressive and in another league to us, whilst Max had the legs on us [so] we would have likely taken P4 in the Grand Prix," he acknowledged.
"We were able to hold off the Ferrari of Charles (Leclerc) in the closing stages, so it was very much an evening of damage limitation," he pointed out. "Given the pace of the car that was the very best we could have achieved.
"Today was no doubt a difficult race for us, both challenging in terms of our pace but also physically," he added. "We will do what we do best though and that is to come together as a team, analyse and refocus ahead of Austin."
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