Mercedes motorsport boss Toto Wolff has claimed the team has not been disillusioned by the result they achieved in Singapore and have instead focused on the negatives from earlier that weekend.
The three-time defending world champions had been third quickest behind Ferrari and Red Bull throughout practice and qualifying but that all changed in the race when the start crash involving Max Verstappen and the two Ferraris wiped out three-quarters of Mercedes’ competition.
Then, a gearbox problem for Daniel Ricciardo prevented the Australian from putting up an optimal fight to Lewis Hamilton, who had got ahead at the first corner and allowed the Briton to claim an unexpected victory.
“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,” Wolff claimed in reflection.
“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 Singapore result also marked a significant shift in the championship as Hamilton stretched out the largest points gap seen so far in 2017, now 28 points clear of Sebastian Vettel with six races to go.
But even so, the Austrian sees little reason to relax or change any approaches knowing how quickly the situation can turn back against Mercedes.
“The last race was a strong reminder that sport always has the power to surprise and defy all predictions,” he said. “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.
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“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.”
Looking ahead to Sepang, Mercedes are expected to be stronger but still the hot conditions and higher tyre wear are expected to create a scenario similar to Bahrain, where Vettel was able to win ahead of Hamilton.
Mercedes also hasn’t won what is the home race for their main sponsor Petronas for two years with an engine failure costing Hamilton and gifting Ricciardo the win last year and Ferrari beating them in a straight fight in 2015.
“Our record in Malaysia in recent seasons has been mixed but the fundamental characteristics of the circuit, with its sweeping corners and long straights, should mean the car is well-suited to the circuit,” Toto said.
“The weather conditions are challenging for the cars, the tyres, the drivers and the team personnel and can often complicate the overall picture; good reliability will be crucial in every aspect of our operations.
“But it goes without saying that our target is to deliver a winning performance to mark the final Grand Prix at Sepang – and to build on the good momentum we have enjoyed since the summer break.”
