Hamilton doesn't see Mercedes reaching Q3 in Singapore: 'Nothing seems to be working'

Mercedes started its Singapore weekend on the wrong foot. The German team suffered this Friday during the first two Free Practice sessions held on the Marina Bay track. Having difficulty with the rear axle of the W15, whether in corners or in traction, the Silver Arrows do not seem (for the moment) really in the running in Singapore. George Russell set the 7th time in Free Practice 2 before hitting the wall at low speed at the end of the session, thus offering his front wing to the track marshals, while Lewis Hamilton failed to reach the Top 10, almost a second from the benchmark set by Lando Norris.

The seven-time British world champion was disillusioned on the evening of the first tests, almost powerless with his W15 against the McLaren and Ferrari…to the point of being worried about Saturday’s qualifying. "For now, I don't see us in Q3., Lewis Hamilton said to the official F1 channel. It's very difficult. We've tried everything with the set-up, but nothing seems to work. We're really giving it our all and we realise we're still a second behind. I think in the end we're a bit lost and I don't really know where to put the car."

Mercedes behind Racing Bulls and Williams?

George Russell's speech was no more optimistic. The Briton was nevertheless faster, but still finished seven tenths behind Lando Norris at the end of FP2. Forced to overdrive at times, the double Grand Prix winner ended up in the wall at turn 8. An error that illustrates the Silver Arrows' difficulties on the streets of Singapore.

"Friday was a very difficult day for us., recognizes George Russell. We were definitely off the pace today, and we need to understand why. I'm sure we'll find some answers tonight. We made some important changes from FP1 to FP2. But the car is not as well connected as it was 12 months ago and in the last few races. So we need to try to get to the bottom of it."

If Ferrari and McLaren seem to be well above the rest at the end of this Friday, the passage to Q3 should be very contested between several teams. Racing Bulls seems to be well launched, as do the Williams, while Mercedes and Red Bull are in a tough situation. However, everything can change during the night from Friday to Sunday…

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