Hamilton: The car finally came alive in Qualifying

After an impressive FP3, where overnight work from the team in Singapore and back at Brackley paid off, both Mercedes drivers were optimistic heading into qualifying. Hamilton finished FP3 in P7, while Russell secured P2, showcasing strong pace on both the Medium and Soft compounds.

However, the drama-filled qualifying session wasn’t without its challenges. Russell initially reported rear grip issues during Q1, but both drivers successfully progressed through the early stages of qualifying. In Q3, an accident involving Carlos Sainz brought out a red flag, cutting short their first attempts and leaving both Mercedes drivers with only one shot to set a competitive time.

Hamilton ultimately clinched P3, while Russell closely followed in P4, with a mere 0.026s between the two. Reflecting on his performance, Hamilton was happy with his continued improvement: "I've been working really hard to improve my qualifying performances and to get myself back up at the front on a Saturday.

"The car came alive today, and we had one of our strongest Saturdays in a while. That was a great feeling. Having just one effort in Q3 after the red flag was tricky, and there was perhaps a little bit more left in the car, but overall, I am really grateful for what we achieved today," Hamilton acknowledged.

In the other Mercedes, teammate Russell also praised the team’s progress, particularly after a challenging Friday: "If you had told us yesterday that we would qualify on the second row of the grid, we would have absolutely taken that

"With the improvements we made overnight though, and how the car felt in FP3, I would have reconsidered. I was feeling super confident in the car, but the grip issues in Q1 made things difficult. Still, we can’t be disappointed with P4, especially considering where we were," ventured Russell.

Mercedes Team Principal Toto Wolff was cautiously optimistic despite feeling a bit underwhelmed by the final result after the promising FP3 pace: "After a difficult Friday, we would have absolutely accepted, and been happy with, locking out the second row of the grid for the race.

"With the progress we made overnight though, and the subsequent pace we showed in FP3, P3 and P4 feels a little underwhelming. That said, it's not a bad place to start, and hopefully, our improvements carry over into tomorrow’s race," Wolff stated.

Trackside Engineering Director Andrew Shovlin praised the team’s recovery, highlighting the importance of tyre management and race strategy in the demanding Singapore Grand Prix: "It’s always a demanding race here, and managing the rear tyres will be key tomorrow evening. Safety Cars can offer opportunities, and we will be aiming to race for the podium and solid points."

With both drivers starting from strong positions, Mercedes will be looking to capitalize on the progress they've made and target a return to the podium on Sunday, or even a victory like at Silverstone, Spa-Francorchamps and Red Bull Ring.