Surprisingly, Mercedes ace Lewis Hamilton was able to get a podium finish in Singapore last Sunday. It has been a while since the last time Mercedes got a podium finish. However, the Singaporean Grand Prix saw a fierce battle between the Silver Arrows’ drivers for P3. Albeit, George Russell was more fighting for a P2 finish. He tried his best to get past McLaren’s Lando Norris. Both Norris and Russell displayed incredible pace. In the end, Russell’s race ended on a sad note.

The young Mercedes driver lost balance and hit a wall. Eventually, he had a DNF last Sunday. However, there was a lack of enthusiasm for celebrating the P3 finish of Lewis Hamilton in Singapore. On social media, fans cannot criticize Mercedes enough for their abandonment of Lewis Hamilton at the Parc Ferme. However, it is not the first time this year that Mercedes abandoned Hamilton. They did something similar after Hamilton finished at P2 in the Australian Grand Prix.

Why Did Mercedes Abandon Lewis Hamilton Again?

Perhaps the Mercedes team rushed to see George Russell if he was okay after hitting a wall. However, Lewis Hamilton posted his images on Instagram of sitting alone after the race, waiting for his team. He had to celebrate with the Ferrari and McLaren crew. Some fans on social media mentioned, “Mercedes don’t deserve Lewis Hamilton” or “It’s time for Hamilton to look for other teams.” Moreover, Russell might have had an unfortunate DNF. Nevertheless, it is not easy to get a podium when the team is struggling so much throughout the season.

Moreover, the Marina Bay race was intensely tough as four drivers fought till the end to win the race. Ultimately, Ferrari’s Carlos Sainz won the race, breaking Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s streak. But Lewis Hamilton, at 38, is still fighting really hard to end the win drought for Mercedes. Therefore, the question arises: why did his team leave him alone to celebrate after getting a podium finish on multiple occasions? But Lewis Hamilton mentioned he would keep pushing hard till they get a win and also praised his teammate for performing so well throughout the weekend. He believes George Russell will bounce back at the right time. 

George Russell Had An Unfortunate End In The Singaporean Grand Prix

Indeed, it was unfortunate because Russell could redeem himself this season by winning the Singaporean GP. But he could not even end up getting a podium finish. On the other hand, Russell’s teammate Lewis Hamilton was right behind him at the fag end of the race. Later, Hamilton ended up finishing at P3. The seven-time champion did not have the pace to beat Lando Norris. Hence, he had to settle for a P3 finish. Mercedes and Hamilton have been pretty inconsistent this season.

After 15 races, the Singaporean Grand Prix saw Mercedes get their only sixth podium this year. It was Hamilton’s fifth in 2023. But Russell only managed a podium in the Spanish Grand Prix, finishing at P3. However, prior to the Singaporean GP, the German team was confident of performing well on a high downforce circuit. Mercedes has struggled in low downforce tracks like in Spa and Monza. Hence, the podium in the Marina Bay race was special.               

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