F1 NEWS: Lewis Hamilton and George Russell health update after Mercedes duo skipped media duties.
Lewis Hamilton and George Russell health update after Mercedes duo skipped media duties.
Mercedes’ technical director, James Allison, has offered an update on the health of Lewis Hamilton and George Russell after the two drivers skipped media duties following last weekend’s Singapore Grand Prix. Both Hamilton and Russell struggled with the intense heat and humidity during the race, which left them feeling unwell, with reports indicating they were borderline suffering from heatstroke.
The Singapore Grand Prix is known for its challenging conditions, with high temperatures and extreme humidity making it tough on drivers physically. Russell described the race as feeling like being in a “sauna,” while Hamilton was visibly frustrated, particularly after a strategic decision during the race dropped him from a strong third position to finish sixth.
Following the race, Mercedes released a statement explaining why their drivers would not be speaking to the media, saying, “Unfortunately neither George or Lewis will be attending the media pen this evening as they recover from the exertions of this evening’s race.”
Later on, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff shed more light on the situation, explaining that both drivers were recovering from the severe conditions inside the cockpit. Wolff stated, “They did not feel well, borderline heatstroke or something like that, but they have had water. They would not have been able to go to the media pen. There were no bad feelings or any annoyance, it is just that we had the doctors with them. But they are all good.”
According to Allison, both drivers have since recovered from the heat exhaustion they experienced during the race, attributing their quick recovery to hydration and cooling techniques like ice baths. “Cold ice baths and a few drinks and they bounce back relatively swiftly,” he said. However, he pointed out that the more lasting frustration for both drivers came from the car’s underwhelming performance in race trim.
Allison went on to explain that the difficulties Mercedes faced in Singapore weren’t just physical for the drivers but also stemmed from the car’s performance. “Well I think like the rest of us they’re feeling fed up that the car was not particularly competitive in race trim,” he noted. While the car performed decently during qualifying, it struggled during the race, particularly with tire management in the challenging conditions. Mercedes has had recurring issues at tracks where softer tires overheat easily, and Singapore exacerbated these problems.
“The more significant thing, which is caring about the pace of the car, that hurt lingers a little longer,” Allison added, acknowledging the ongoing concerns about their car’s competitiveness in certain conditions.
Not everyone was as sympathetic to Hamilton and Russell’s struggles, however. Lando Norris, who won the race, offered a more blunt take on the situation during a gaming livestream. Commenting on the news of Mercedes’ update, Norris remarked, “Toto Wolff issues health update on Hamilton and Russell? F***ing hell, it’s tough for everyone! Why do they think that they’ve… Everyone’s got heatstroke if they’ve got heatstroke.”
While the two Mercedes drivers have since recovered physically, the issues with their car’s performance are something the team will need to address as they move forward in the season.
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