Mercedes avoiding complacency after Singapore 'surprise'

Mercedes does not want to overestimate its potential in Malaysia after picking up a "surprise" win in a dramatic Singapore GP.

Published : Sep 25, 2017 20:10 IST

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas after finishing first and second respectively at the Singapore Grand Prix.
Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas after finishing first and second respectively at the Singapore Grand Prix.
lightbox-info

Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas after finishing first and second respectively at the Singapore Grand Prix.

Toto Wolff is keen for Mercedes to avoid complacency after a "surprise" at the Singapore Grand Prix saw Lewis Hamilton win and Valtteri Bottas come third.

The Marina Bay street circuit was expected to favour Ferrari and Red Bull, but a collision heading towards the first turn ended the races of Sebastian Vettel, Kimi Raikkonen and Max Verstappen.

Hamilton got a better start than Daniel Ricciardo – who ended up finishing second – to lead for the remainder of the race, opening up a 28-point lead in the drivers' standings.

READ: Aston Martin to become Red Bull's title sponsor from 2018

With Mercedes achieving a vastly superior result to what it was expecting, Wolff does not want to overestimate what it will be capable of at the Malaysian Grand Prix this weekend.

"The result in Singapore came as a surprise for us all - and the danger of a result like that is to misjudge your own level of performance," said Wolff.

"But within the team, our focus since finishing first and third has been on the painful moments of the Singapore weekend - why we struggled in the long runs on Friday and our lack of performance over one lap in qualifying - to learn as much as possible for the rest of the season.

"We have deepened our understanding of those problems and we will take that learning with us into the final races.

"The last race was a strong reminder that sport always has the power to surprise and defy all predictions. We have been on the receiving end of those bad moments before, and we know that they can happen as easily to us as anybody else.

"The result in Singapore doesn't change anything in terms of how we approach the final six races, beginning this weekend in Malaysia. We will need to be at the top of our game on every track if we want to maintain our lead in both championships to the end of the season."

Sign in to unlock all user benefits
  • Get notified on top games and events
  • Save stories to read later
  • Access to comment on every story
  • Sign up / manage to our newsletters with a single click
  • Get notified by email for early bird access to discounts & offers to our products
Sign in

Comments

Comments have to be in English, and in full sentences. They cannot be abusive or personal. Please abide to our community guidelines for posting your comment