“After a really troublesome Friday, we’d have probably taken P4 within the Grand Prix,” Russell stated. “Our tempo in qualifying nevertheless made us imagine we may obtain extra. As we speak was little doubt a troublesome race for us, each difficult by way of our tempo but additionally bodily.
“The McLarens had been very spectacular and in one other league to us, while Max [Verstappen] had the legs on us. We had been capable of maintain off the Ferrari of Charles within the closing levels, so it was very a lot a night of injury limitation. Given the tempo of the automotive, that was the easiest we may have achieved.”
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Russell regarded visibly drained within the aftermath of a troublesome and gruelling race, calling his cockpit a “sauna” halfway via the night. The race was made tougher by the actual fact there was no Security Automotive for the primary time in Singapore’s historical past. That gave the drivers no respite throughout the 62-lap outing, the hassle of defending late on from the charging Ferrari clearly taking its toll on the Brit.
Hamilton likewise was left exhausted by a race wherein he needed to struggle his method again via the midfield after his sooner than excellent pit cease to do away with the smooth tyres, with solely Daniel Ricciardo additionally making an attempt the unfavoured alternate technique for RB.