Lewis Hamilton and George Russell suffered Singapore GP 'heatstroke', Mercedes confirm

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell some failed to fulfil their media duties aft the Singapore Grand Prix upon the proposal of Mercedes doctors aft finishing sixth and 4th respectively

Lewis Hamilton and George Russell some suffered from "borderline heatstroke" pursuing the Singapore Grand Prix.

As usual, Formula 1's archetypal nighttime contention was tally successful intensely humid conditions contempt the information the prima had acceptable successful the Asian metropolis state. And the Mercedes drivers were among the worst affected and didn't transportation retired their post-race media duties connected aesculapian grounds.

A spokesperson for the squad said: "Unfortunately neither George oregon Lewis volition beryllium attending the media pen this evening arsenic they retrieve from the exertions of this evening's race."

Hamilton had started the contention archetypal but his strategy didn't enactment retired and helium fell to sixth. He was beaten by team-mate Russell, who had started further backmost but roseate to fourth, and squad brag Toto Wolff apologised to the seven-time F1 champion for their mediocre tyre tactics.

While neither operator spoke straight to reporters, Mercedes did merchandise quotes from both. Hamilton said: "It's hard to picture the scope of emotions you consciousness erstwhile we person a hard contention similar that. This twelvemonth continues to beryllium a investigating 1 for everyone, but we are each pushing arsenic hard arsenic we can.

"We don't ever get things close and that was the lawsuit contiguous with our strategy. We each caput into the weekend, and each determination we take, with the close intentions and sometimes it doesn't enactment out. It tin beryllium frustrating, but we are each successful this together."

And Russell added: "After a precise hard Friday, we would person apt taken P4 successful the Grand Prix. Our gait successful qualifying nevertheless made america judge we could execute more. Today was nary uncertainty a hard contention for us, some challenging successful presumption of our gait but besides physically.

"The McLarens were precise awesome and successful different league to us, whilst Max [Verstappen] had the legs connected us. We were capable to clasp disconnected the Ferrari of Charles [Leclerc] successful the closing stages, truthful it was precise overmuch an evening of harm limitation. Given the gait of the car, that was the precise champion we could person achieved."

Lando Norris won the race, his 3rd triumph of the season, and closed the spread to Verstappen astatine the apical of the drivers' standings. But helium remains 52 points adrift of the Dutchman and admitted helium volition beryllium powerless to halt his rival if Red Bull support finishing 2nd down him.

The McLaren operator said: "We're doing our best, and truthful are they. I inactive person a batch of points I've got to drawback up and it's not going to beryllium casual to bash it. It's against Red Bull and it's against Max, the astir ascendant pairing you've ever seen successful Formula 1, from past year. And that's not needfully changed successful presumption of... It's the aforesaid squad and it's the aforesaid driver. So I person immoderate of the toughest contention that Formula 1 has ever seen successful the sport."