Wolff: Our main challenge is controlling tyre temperatures

Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff expressed optimism while acknowledging the unique challenges presented by the street circuit, and revealed the team's Achilles heel.

"We head straight to Singapore for the second race in this double-header. Although a street circuit like Baku, Marina Bay is a different challenge. Physically, it is incredibly demanding on both the drivers and team members," Wolff stated.

The Merc boss highlighted how the tropical heat and humidity, combined with the circuit's bumpy surface and tricky mixture of high and low-speed corners, makes it one of the most physically taxing races of the year.

Reflecting on Mercedes' performance at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Wolff noted that while the team demonstrated moments of competitive pace, consistency remained elusive. "After a mixed weekend in Azerbaijan, we will take the learnings from Baku and aim for an improved performance in Singapore.

"At times, our pace was strong, but we couldn't deliver that consistently. Our main challenge was controlling tyre temperatures, something we know we need to improve upon," Wolff acknowledged.

Despite securing a podium finish in Baku, Wolff acknowledged that the result was partly due to fortunate circumstances, with the team only achieving fifth place on merit. The focus now shifts to Singapore, where Mercedes will work to extract better performance from their car and minimize issues that have plagued their recent outings.

Adding to the significance of the Singapore race, Wolff emphasized the importance of the event to Mercedes' Title and Technical Partner, Petronas. "Singapore has become a key race for our Title and Technical Partner Petronas in recent seasons, as the closest event to Malaysia. We are excited that this year we will be part of their 50th anniversary celebrations."

Mercedes has enjoyed a record-breaking partnership with Petronas since 2010, and this milestone event will see several planned celebrations, underscoring their shared successes and ongoing sustainability ambitions, including the development of sustainable fuels for 2026.

The Singapore Grand Prix is set to be another opportunity for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, but Mercedes is heading into the weekend with fresh motivation, thanks to the latter's unexpected podium in Baku, no doubt hoping to deliver the kind of performance that saw them win a flurry of GPs not long ago.